Hi Cindeea,
I've noticed with my Hippeastrums that when the bulbs are really big that it does flower when your not expecting it to. It is a lovely surprise when this happens.
Lucky You!

Di

Cindee, what a nice surprise! I inspected my Amis in the soil last week, too, and found a scape! But, then, the hippys bloom here this time of year, so it really was not a surprise but an expectation!
BTW, I bought this bulb+scape at the market place week before last. I kept it in the office for one week and it started to bloom last Sunday. The blooms are nothing special, I had expected it to be darker color with strips [so was what the vendor told me!]... but it's not so! Anyway, I still enjoy it because in the course of collecting different colors.

Here's a pix of my new guy.
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And there it is with other office plants at my work station.

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Xuan

Hi Hauxan! What a beautiful flower. The stalk is so tall! All of your office plants look happy. That lil bud of mine is doubled in size this morning with all the rain we've had this week. I can't wait to see what kind of surprise it holds inside.

Buds getting bigger

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Today
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I am thinking, maybe Minerva?

Beautiful, Cindee. Thanks for sharing.

Xuan

Xuan
Hey my friend, did you take the AV I sent in care of your daughter back home with you? How's it doing?

Here she is!

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hmmm, guess everyone is busy....see ya next fall!

A lovely surprise and the closing touch.
Cindeea, you mean next spring? or do yours normaly flower in fall.

Sorry Cindee for not updating you re the AV you sent. I was too busy straightening things up. Anyway, here's a pix

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Many thanks.

Xuan

Hey Cindeea,
So you have a Clown?

Arif-I usually have Amaryllis blooms from November to very early April, not this late in the game in SW Florida. So she is a delightful surprise. I have 2 blooms opened and 2 more buds. After bloom time for me, unless I have something I have a question about or there are no other surprises, I go back to my Florida gardening and don't frequent the Amaryllis forum much other than to just check in, drool over what others have blooming and see my friends here are doing ok.

Xuan-Nice to hear from you my far away friend!
She is looking so good. Her mama is blooming again. I can't believe her baby is growing so far across the world in your home! How exciting is that??

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Soultan-funny you said 'clown' I was thinking that is really what it looks like to me. Is that a variety? I do not ever remember purchasing a Clown. I thought it was the Minerva I bought a couple of years ago, but I could be wrong. The petals do look like a clowns collar! Here's a pic from tonight. What's your concensus? She's huge, saucer size, not just the flower the plant is very tall with thick long leaves. Twice the size of most of my other amaryllis.

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Thanks for your responses!

Cindee, I'm still in the US and the baby is with me here. I will take it home when I leave. I'm eagerly waiting for this baby to mature and bloom! The mom looks so pretty.

I also love your amaryllis. It's beautiful. Never have such color and stripes in Vietnam.

My daughter has somehow misplaced the amaryllis seeds you sent. Guess I don't have any luck keeping your plant, though. Sigh!

Cheers,

Xuan

Xuan-I am so sorry you lost the seeds. How long are you there. I do still have a couple more packets of a few seeds I saved. I can send them out Monday. I still have your address c/o daughter. The AV is a prolific bloomer once it gets large enough. You'r has grown quite a bit since I sent it!

I am excited that I found Pollen Maria sent me a while back, still in my butter bin. I am wondering if the Picotee or Rozette pollen will work on the above flowers...have to try eh?

Picotee and Rozette should both work with your red and white striped. Could that possibly be a Home Depot bulb? I have several of those, and they bloom slightly differently each time, so I cannot say whether they are Clown or Sydney or WHAT!

For goodness sakes, Xuan, if you are going to be in the states for the next couple of weeks, I certainly have some very nice crosses that I could share seeds with you. I know the feeling of losing track of seeds for awhile. I lost track some once and was amazed that 6 months or so later, they actually germinated!

Cindee knows how to reach me...

Elizabeth thanks-I knew you'd have the "ploidy" answer on the pollination possibilities! Xuan is a very nice lady and I am sure she will appreciate anything you have to share. The seeds I have left are LemonLime x Bolero, Mini Red NOID x Self and x Lemon Lime. I am also throwing in some sprekelia seeds that germinate really really fast!

Eliz-The bulb is OF COURSE, an HD who-knows-what-bulb. I swear, I have had this bulb a long time but never remember this kind of flower. I went back to the first bulb/flower pics I have and none look like this. Also, none of the plants ever reached this size. It is remarkably looking like Clown, after researching it. Very Round petals. I need to bring it under the lanai since we are getting some much needed rain and I want it all to dry out a bit before dusting it with fairy dust!

You'll get a kick out of this. Dennis brought the Amaryllis under the Lanai for me and said...MAN this sucker is huge up close. And I told him I had pollen from Maria and Eliz verified that they would work. He walked in the house saying, oh god, a man-eating flower is what's gonna pop out!! I placed a soda can by it and the planter is smack up against the barrel...it's quite a big plant! It is so hard to show the size in photos.

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Cindee,

Send me a pm with Xuan's address at my 'secret' location, and I will be sure to send some seeds this next week. Summer school starts soon, and I will be busy with that, so if I am going to send any seeds, it needs to be SOON!

And you know as well as I do, that hurricane and tropical storm season is upon us, so who knows what the schedules will look like in the weeks to come.

Send me a PM!

And enjoy the rain! You all need it!

Elizabeth, I sent you Xuans addy in California. Have a great weekend!!!

Oh, how nice of you guys to go into all this trouble for me! How honorable I feel, Cindee and Elizabeth. I will try to sow the seeds as soon as I get them. I will be here until probably end of July and hopefully the seeds will germinate and then I will be able to take them home to Vietnam to start a special collection.

Thank you so so much, my friends.

Xuan

My Clown was just as big, and it only brought up one flower scape last year. Nothing yet this year, since it is not potted yet. I'd say you are a happy Clowner...

Xuan-you are most welcome!

Soultan. I am liking this guy. He sure brightens up my patio.

Xuan...I know you are into African Violets too. I would send you some if I have extra ones but I only purchase one of newer prettier varieties for my mother and she brings them all back to the Philippines. She has been a member of the African Violet Society of America for years and AVs are her first love. We have an AV farm in the Philippines though that we grow thousands of AVs (named varieties). Maybe when she goes back to PI, you can contact her and she can send you seedlings or leaves. Here is a pic of part of the AV farm there.

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Oh Maria I am sooooooooooooo jealous!! Here's my lil farm!

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OMG, Maria, look at all those AVs in the Philippines! Wow, I'm hoping to start a similar business in Vietnam! Well, there's a lady in the AV forum by the name of Sandra who is from the Philippines . She always has problem keeping her AVs alive. What part of the Philippines does your mother live? Maybe I can send Sandra an email about your mother so that she can contact her for AV purchase.

Cindee, your violets look good. I bet they look fabulous in real life. I'm eagerly waiting for the baby Wild Mustang to grow up and bloom. I'll take it home with me and enjoy it. Can't wait!

Xuan

Cindeea...They look nice and healthy. I like that variegated one.

Xuan...The nursery is just outside Manila in Antipolo City where it's higher in elevation (little bit cooler) and a LOT less of pollution. She can always contact my mother or visit the nursery as long as she calls first. Unfortunately, my mother is leaving PI to come here in US for a 3 month visit on Thursday. Growing AVs in a very tropical country is hard. This is a result of years(around 10-15) of studying of temp./humidity/potting mix/fertilizer/insecticide and fungicide spraying schedule/propagation techniques that would work in that growing environment. Good luck on your upcoming business. My mother and I will always be here if you need some advice.

Cindee, Elizabeth, I've got the seeds. Thank you very much. Now, I'm wondering how to start them! Pls help me. (I sent you an email about this).

Xuan

Xuan,

Cindee sent your email address to me, and I have sent instructions to you that may help. I grow them in a soiless mix, topped with vermiculite, covered with clear plastic to retain moisture in the mix and then place them under fluorescents.

In two weeks, you should see some leaves popping up. In one month, they are ready to harden off for a couple of days, then transplanted to larger containers and begin fertilization.

Good Luck and Have FUN!

Xuan-what eliz said! I told you she was a pro, me I wing it, so take my email advise with that thought in mind! Enjoy, my friend.

Busy starting the seeds, my friends. It's so fun. Thank you.

Xuan