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Amaryllis/Hippeastrum

Open your secret: how to prepare Amaryllis for bloom next year

17 years ago

What nutrients do you add to soil to grow a large bulb giving a lot of flowers next winter/spring?

Thank you for sharing.

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Comments (8)

raul_in_mexico
17 years ago
Weeeelll, no secret, they are just left in the ground all year long but only those of us living in the warm climates can do that.
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dablo93
17 years ago
for your zone:
put the hippeastrums in may in pots outside and give im water if they need it.
before the first frost, take the bubls inside and let them dry for 3 months, than you do the bulbs in pots inside.

[here in Holland, the last days temperatures of 28/29 degrees!:)]
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It is certainly possible here in MA with not too much effort. All of mine older ones are sending up buds right now. Give them plenty of sun after flowering and then put them outside in the summer. As Hans Werner suggests feed regularly. The bulbs need to be nourished by the sun and fertilizer to replenish over the summer. I put mine in the shed in September to force dormancy and keep them in a cool dark room until I see them start to grow. Normally this is in early January. I repot some of mine without too much damage. I wonder if buying them at a chain store (a not so dependable source) is also part of the problem. I dont think you need to pay the ridiculous prices at Jackson and Perkins or White Flower Farms but much better bulbs can be had at a local nursery for about $12. Size matters here.
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We are teasing about the color! It's such a deep red....Bragu was teasing that it had no color and since he was being silly, I teased him back because there is no such thing as a blue Hippeastrum!! It is amazing to watch them grow so quickly. A couple of years ago there was a post of 84 photos from a first timer as we were all on "scape watch" with her! SORRY....! :-)
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radiantjade
17 years ago
Last year many of the blooms were on short stalks IÂm assuming because I stopped fertilizing them. So this past year I committed myself to fertilize them more regularly. I'm not an expert, but here's what I did. I used Miracle Grow and just one application of Dynamite. (I question whether the Dynamite did anything for them at all because I still see those round pellets on the ground). I'm very happy with the results from the Miracle Grow. Only a few are on short stalks now.
I just took these pictures and they are as happy as can be growing in an area where they get full sun in San Diego.
---J

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levadia
Original Author
17 years ago
Dear Dablo, Radiantjade and Raul,
Hearing about your success and looking at the happy flowers in San Diego I think the secret is in moving out of Cleveland where my garden and I freeze at night and die from wind at daytime at 40F=5C degrees. This year the weather is a real killer. My daffodil's bloom is all ruined and what frost didn't kill is being eaten by slugs. This is a prize for the efforts I put when planting the bulbs last autumn.
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raul_in_mexico
17 years ago
Exactly, all you need to do is pack your bags and move south , if itÂ´s too hot you turn the A/C on and garden very early in the morning or late in the afternoon. I also use Miracle Grow on a regular basis. You will have to forget about growing tulips, daffodils nÂ´stuff like that ( or grow them ocassionaly just for the fun ) and trade them for dahlias, gladiolas, callas, cannas, tuberoses, etc, etc, etc that you donÂ´t need to lift up for the "winter" ( whatever that word means ) .

Choose your poison.
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mariava7
17 years ago
Soultan...Are you seeing these pics? Hurry up and plant your amaryllises in the garden!

Radiantjade...Your amaryllises are beautiful!

I will need to convince my hubby more about moving to a warmer state or retire in the Philippines...LOL!
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soultan
17 years ago
Maria,
I still don't have a garden. :o)
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kathi_mdgd
17 years ago
Radiantjade,
Your amaryllis are beautiful!! I'm just up the freeway from you in Oceanside.Mine do well also.
Kathi
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