Jstropics, congratulations on your healthy bulbs! =) In regards to the depth of planting your bulbs with offsets; simply plant the mother bulbs as you usually would and your babies will grow as the mothers grow roots. So....offsets do not have to be atleast 1/3 above the soil.

Jody, I agree with pax. Plant the mother bulb as you normally would. If the offset babies end up under the medium, they will find their way to the surface in their own time. It is so exciting to get new bulbs already carrying babies!! I have had a few of them this year myself, and although I am careful not to hurt or damage them, they will find their own way in the world. At this point they are depending on the mother bulb to be healthy in order to survive.

I, too, received a couple of bulbs that had tiny offshoots growing, attached to Mommy... I just planted the mother bulb as I would any other, and some of the offsets are growing and peeking above the soil surface now...

Even the cluster of Lovely Garden was planted the same way... the center bulbs, or larger ones, were planted just as I would any other single bulb, with about 1/3 to 1/2 of the bulbs above the surface of the medium, with the smaller baby bulblets ending up probably just as they were before being dug up by the grower... some under and some above soil level... all are doing fine.

Thanks Pax, Cindee and Jodi, this really helped! The bulbs required a little more cleanup then bulbs bought earlier in the season and I didn't want to do something that would rot them. The Lemon-Lime has two scapes peeking-up as well as about five offsets. The Amputo's have four offsets each but no scapes and the Madrid has no offsets and no scapes showing. So now we will wait and see how they all grow. I will keep you updated.

If your Amputo is anything like mine, it will take some doing to wake it up! I have been waiting forever to see some sign of growth, but so far, nothing... the bulb is firm and healthy, though... I moved it over to the heat mat, hoping a little bottom heat will get it going... and I also will add Superthrive to the next watering, which might help a bit...

Nice choices! I wish you luck with them!

Thanks Jodi,

After reading what you and Soultan wrote about Amputo, I decided to give them the spa treatment.
First, exfoliation: they received a gentle cleansing and had all unnecessary scales removed to to reveal their inner beauty,
Next, the underlying area was cleansed of any unsightly blemishes to give a more glowing look,
Then, the roots were examined and all dead roots were trimmed,
Then they were given a special peroxide wash to cleanse and protect
Finishing with a fungicide/miticide spritz,
At this time, they were alowed to rest their newly trimmed roots in a 12 hour bath of spa water and superthrive.
Finally they were placed in a well drained container of freshly mixed elements meant to promote wellbeing and placed on a south facing windowsill where the gentle tropical breezes could waft over them, whispering "wake up Amputo....wake up Amputo"

So what do you think? LOL

I think I want to vacation at your spa! I need a treatment like that to revive me!

But really, that sounds wonderful... and I think your bulb will most likely wake up before mine! I don't usually get that technical when handling newly acquired bulbs... I peel off the dead outer layers, get rid of the dead roots, sprinkle with an anti-fungal, and pot them up in a coco coir based medium, watering them in with a Superthrive mixture... close to what you do, but no soaks...

I just don't have the room to keep soaking bulbs sitting on the tiny counter in my kitchenette area, and anywhere else I put them, a dog would either try to drink the liquid or knock them over! I'm doomed! I'm lucky that the dogs we have don't have an interest in plants... so far, they've ignored my little jungle! However, we just acquired a new male Olde Bulldogge, named Hux, for breeding purposes, and he's been eyeballing my plant stands as potential fire-hydrants! I will not be pleased if Hux uses them as such! Male dogs are not my first choice for home companions! I prefer females, who don't lift legs, but without a male there is no breeding potential! I am so doomed! :-)

A couple of reasons I try (notice I say try) to go the extra distance with each new purchase,

1. I lost a lot of my orchids by bringing in diseased plants that also had spider mites. I had even separated the new plants for a number of months. I had many of the orchids for a lot of years without disease and by the time I realized what was happening, no amount of care helped them. I was able to take some small healthy cuttings form some but that is all. I had to make some hard decisions in order to clean everything up. That was a few years ago but the memory is still fresh. Because of this, I will never hesitate to throw out a plant/bulb that I think might spread disease or pests to the other plants. That way I only lose one plant - not many. As has been said, "experience is a harsh teacher, you take the test first and learn the lesson afterwards."

2. Florida's climate is mold heaven. Once you notice it the damage could be extensive. So the idea is to stop it before it starts or at least give the bulb a chance to recover some vigor first. These bulbs were in fairly good shape but had a couple of damp/wet areas and had that "moldy" smell. I was concerned about spreading spores. I knew I couldn't get to all the little crevices but peroxide can reach most.

3. This forum has give me tarsonomidphobia - therefore the miticide/fungicide spritz!

I know that I can't protect against everything, but I hope a little extra care up front will spare me a lot of aggravation at the tail end - but who knows :)

I give the bulbs a spa bath out of laziness - it gives me a minimum of 12 more hours after the original phobic treatment before I prepare everything for planting. I use bell jars (from mayo and spaghetti) which seem to be a perfect fit for all the hippi bulbs. You can also buy them pretty cheaply. And no I don't can things LOL

Jodi,

Is Hux a puppy? How old? How about posting a pic of him. You said a new male - to bring in new bloodlines? Boy you sure have a lot going one. It makes me tired just listening to all you do!!!
You do need some spa time!!! One of the uses of the bell jars, is to hold homemade bath salts (using epson salt and whatever scented flower or oil you like). Then when you have a stressful day you can give yourself a special homemade spa bath. That was my plan, don't ask me if I have every done this -- but I'm going too - someday, really -- I made the bath salts -that's a start - right?LOL

Here's some offset info. Candy Floss had an offset that was on the lower bulb of the Mother. I buried it, green and all. Today it looks like this:
{{gwi:378818}}

This is an HD sale bucket Apple blossom. It had an offset with some decent green tips. I planted the tips at the top of the soil and gently spooned the medium around it. (baby off to left)
{{gwi:378819}}
This is a Lowes boxed kit "WHITE" that had 2 offsets. One tall enough to let peek above the soil when planting (Right side) and one I buried completely(on the left).
{{gwi:378823}}
Hope this helps you guys!

Thanks Cindee,

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words! Thanks again for taking the time to post them!

Glad the photos are helpful, Jody. It's kinda weird looking at photos of my own gardens. It kind of makes me feel like I am standing outside my world looking in..Know what I mean??

Like the 2nd photo is in my (what I think is a decrepid and very basic bed under my Shady Lady Olive) yet I see great variegated green lirope growing new leaves among the amaryllis green and look at all that tree litter on the ground!! Just things I don't see day to day. Makes me think I should just take random photos and study them every day. They make me see my gardens differently! lol

Jody, Hux is an adult male... Larry just got him yesterday. Within the breed(s) we work with, there is very little worthy of bringing into the bloodline(s) we have. When we do run across a dog that is considered worthy, we jump at the chance to add it to the program. Hux is a very nice dog... sweet temperament, nice body style... time will tell whether he's the right genetic match for the females we have, but we won't know unless we study the pedigree, crunch the data, and make the breeding. I don't have any photos taken yet, but I will try to get some tomorrow... he's a handsome dark brindle boy with a bit of white here and there...

I think your ideas are good ones with regards to bathing and keeping plants separated, at least until you know they're not infected with anything... I spray and sink-bathe almost everything that comes into the apartment, with the exception of bulbs... however, I think I'm going to start. Your story of losing orchids made me rethink my processing!

I just lost my large lipstick plant, and I'm not sure why... I saw no pests on it, and no signs of disease... growing it has been touch and go, more so during the winter months... and I never did get it to bloom for me... I also lost an english ivy, but that I brought indoors this past fall... it was part of a container garden, and it was fairly cold out when I finally got around to transplanting it... I didn't have much hope that it would transition, and it didn't. But now, my other english ivy and my spider plant are not doing so well... and the only things I can of that might be issues are the temperature indoors that fluctuates a lot, and the fact I have been neglecting other plants in favor of my bulbs... usually by this time every winter, my plants are looking a little worse for wear, but spring will perk them right up! The sun will get stronger, the windows can be opened for fresh breezes, and the constant warmth promotes new growth... spring is usually re-potting time, leaching time, and top-dressing time, all of which can help perk up flagging houseplants!

I am getting bulb-mite-phobia, myself! I have sprayed everything, and am hoping it helps kill whatever might be hanging around! I know Vesuvius is infested... and I'm sure there are more bulbs with mild infestations... with any luck, the spray schedule they are on will take care of any mites and save my bulbs!

Cindee, I know exactly what you mean... that's how I look at my own garden photos... it's like looking at my garden and plants from a whole new view! Pretty wild, isn't it?!

Hiall. I'm new to this forum and to the amaryllis. I have quite a few of them now, and I am definetly grateful for all I have learned. Thanks again, and I hope I can contribute soon.

Jodi, I am not sure your Vesuvius is mite infested. Mine would be too then. I think it is just not a particularly strong bulb, and it was not able to produce a healthy bloom for you. If you don't actually see the signs of infestation, a weird flower does not mean it is infested. Mine does not show any sign of mite infestation and it was in the same package as yours.

Welcome rosalie946! It sure is nice to see new people joining us!

Jodi, I took photos of Dennis' dining room chairs that he finished building yesterday. When he looked at the pics he said the same thing..."WOW, Is that what they really look like? Cool." I think photography gives a totally different perspective on familiar things.

Hi Rosalie,
I'd like to add my welcome also. I'm mostly new too - just a few weeks. You've come to the right place. You can learn it all here 'cuz there are some who are experts, or nearly so. Me, I'm just an obsessed fledgling. I'm into too many different things (spread too thin) to be truly fantastic at any one thing, but keep on trying to do it all. Do you have other growing treasures?

Soultan - I'm not 100% sure what is wrong with Vesuvius, but it is stunted and there is a reddish color on the outer layer and on the outside of the buds, which are papery and stiff even before opening. It's very strange, because the bulbs looked good when I got them. I just don't know what to make of Vesuvius... you could be right, and it's just a weak bulb that needs another year of good care to bloom properly... it's the reddish tint that makes me think it might have mites. Either way, I decided not to take any chances, and gave it a nice miticide mist. It can't hurt to take precautions. I don't know how long it takes for mites to become a problem... perhaps it got them from another bulb I have... I'm not sure... I am glad that yours don't have anything wrong...

Rosalie - Welcome to the forum! I'm a fairly new collector, myself! It becomes an obsession quite fast! I went from 2 to over 40 in no time flat! And I've learned a lot here from everyone!

Cindee - Chair photos, please! I must see how they look with that fabulous table! Dennis does great work!

Jodi-they ain't at the table yet!! We had a guy come by today to give us estimates on upholstering the chairs and to re-upholster 2 of my Mothers old side chairs. It reminded me of picking out cabinets, flooring, exterior paint colors, etc when we built our home. TOO MANY CHOICES! 2 hours later we decided on fabrics! Life is full of choices.

Here's Dens chairs, not yet at the table cause the stain is still drying.....
{{gwi:378824}}

{{gwi:378825}}

Dennis is amazing. The craftsmanship made the Upholster Guy quiver!! He thought we bought the table and chairs from a Major manufacturer. Dennis is truly a master, but he would shy away if you told him that and point out the flaws he sees in his work. I don't see flaws, just perfection!!! Guess I'll keep him.

Oh here's an amaryllis to keep us on track!
FLASH BACK!
{{gwi:378827}}
EXOTIC STAR Last Season

I have to get Exotic Star next season!

And Dennis' chairs are beautiful! How lovely to have a man who makes furniture for you!

Hi Rosalie! Glad to meet you!

Cindee, Dennis is an artist - and a modest one at that- Wow! Does he do a lot of woodworking?

Jodi, how is Hux doing today?

Cindee, you lucky girl! Those are absolutely fabulous! I can't wait to see the whole set together, with seats and all! Dennis is a Master when it comes to woodworking! The man is talented, there is no doubt about that! I see no imperfections... just careful workmanship, straight and true... they are gorgeous chairs!

My Mom did all her own upholstering, from simple kitchen chair backs and seats, all the way to living room sofas and pit groupings... when she changed paint colors in our home, she chose fabric and re-upholstered the furniture to match. She was self-taught, and learned by carefully razoring the fabric off the old sofa and using the pieces as a pattern. She did have sewing experience, which helped tremendously, I'm sure. Anyway... when choosing wallpaper border for the kitchen, she would always buy extra... she would use that extra to cover the back and seat panels of the kitchen chairs, tack it to the backs of the seats, and then cover it with that very thick, clear plastic that you see on older furniture, and tack that in place, stretching it tightly... our kitchen chairs always matched the wallpaper border in the kitchen! It looked pretty cool!

Lizalily, you will love Exotic Star! As you can see from Cindee's photo, the colors are magical... rather like Papilio... and the shape is very nice! My first scape only gave me two blooms, but consecutive scapes opened with four flowers each... I consider it a "must have"!

Jody - I was unable to get any pictures of Hux yesterday... I will have to try for today... yesterday was a rush day, from the time I got up and got Larry out the door and on the road to take care of some dog business and supply pick-ups, to the rush job I had to do on the kennel, and then we were out the door headed to Champaign for our Sunday "girl's day out" shopping trip... we didn't get home until after 10:00 pm! Hux is doing fine, though... he's adjusting well to his new home. He's quite a nice dog, very affectionate and sweet, and he looks really nice paired with Emma, our female. I will try very hard to get photos today... he's a wrinkled cutie, rather like Emma, and I'd love to show them off! :-)