Hello, Laur! Welcome to the forum! Unfortunately, I'm not able to grow hippeastrum bulbs outdoors, but I would think that if you water them when dry, and feed them while they're in green leaf growth AFTER they flower, you should pretty much have it covered... until fall. Zone 7 can be sort of marginal for hippeastrum survival over winter, so a thick layer of mulch might be in order.

Perhaps some of the other southern growers here can better answer your questions... all of my bulbs are grown in containers, and they're brought indoors before frost hits in my zone 5 garden.

Which variety do you have? Could you post photos so we can ooh and ahh over them?!

I do have photo's but I am not sure how to upload them.

Since I'm new to posting photos, here's what I found easiest: Store your photos on a site (I recommend PhotoBucket since that's what was suggested to me!). Then, once stored there will be 4 different types of links for each photo. The 3rd one down is lables HTLM code. Just click on the code in the box and it will say "COPY" (you can right click then to select the copy option), then as you are writing your message, right click and choose "PASTE" to paste the code right into the text where you want the photo to appear (you'll see a bunch of code in your message, but when you preview the photo will be there!).

That's a simple explanation of how to do it. OH...there are several size options when you save photos in PhotoBucket. I usually use LARGE as they fit into the messages well. Here's my bloom collection as of last week!
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Kristi

Photobucket is probably one of the easiest online photo storage facilities there is... it's free... simply follow the directions to create an account... then, upload your photos and resize them... then, choose the HTML coding option to copy and paste your pictures into the body of a post here in the forum.

There are other photo storage places online, and several are free to join... you can do a Google search for free online photo storage... several options will come up, I'm sure... simply choose the one that fits your computer skill level the best.

I use Photobucket because it's the easiest for me... it creates the necessary coding for me so I don't have to write my own html.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket Online Photo Albums

Thank you all for helping me with my pictures

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Lovely photos... I believe you have an Apple Blossom and a Red Lion! They are both fairly common, but very nice bulbs! I have more than one of each variety, myself!

Once your bulbs establish and begin to multiply, the clumps they'll form will bloom and look wonderful! For me, these bulbs are so beautiful and fun to grow that I've got quite a large collection of different varieties... not as large as some others' collections, but I'd say that around 50 bulbs constitutes a rather big collection!

Good luck with yours! Thank you for sharing your photos!

Hi!

Indeed, they look like Apple Blossom and Red Lion which are the more common and popular ones sold in the Fall at Walmart.

About the brown edges? Are we talking about the bulb scales, the scapes/blooms or the leaves?

If it is the bulb scales, then that should be expected. After a bulb is dormant and dry for a long period, the outer scales will dry out and turn brown. It is a good thing to remove them for it is a place for fungus and critters to thrive.

If it is the leaves, then they are not getting enough moisture. That could be due to lack of good roots or lack of water. Sandy soil should be amended with peat and compost, if possible.

Amaryllis do not like to sit in water, but they do need a lot to drink especially when it is HOT!

Does that make sense?

It makes perfect sense... the roots require moisture often, but not constant moisture. Sort of like an epiphytic plant who's roots require misting often, but you wouldn't want to set it in water and leave it soaking!

In any growing situation, proper watering is essential for growing healthy plants with healthy root systems! Poor watering technique is the number one cause of plant mortality!

As long as the garden area has good soil that has been amended to help drainage, and you water when the soil becomes fairly dry, the plants should thrive! It's best to water at ground level, deeply, and early in the day... soaker hoses are great for this... watering late in the day or evening, and wetting the plants' crowns can lead to rot.

It is best to water a garden thoroughly and less often than to water shallow and more often... you want the plants to grow roots that reach down into the soil for moisture, and to keep cool in the heat of summer. Watering shallow and only in small bits forces the roots closer to the soil surface, which leads to them becoming too hot in summer and not being able to support the plants and keep them upright. Overheated plants are stressed plants!

To recap... watering is best early in the day, and it's best to water thoroughly and to water the soil, not the crown of the plants. Proper watering helps plants thrive!