Hi LynnMarie. The green tri-pod will eventually turn a yellow hue and start to split at the seams. That is when you want to remove the pod. Open the pod on paper plate or towel, spread out the paper seeds and let air dry a day or so...then it's off to starting the seeds or saving or sharing them.

Cindee is correct... it's customary to wait until the pod begins to split open on its own before cutting it off the stem and allowing it to dry for a couple of days. I do as Cindee does... I set the pod on a paper plate, out of direct sunlight, and let it dry for a day or two... then, I open it up and remove the papery seeds.

Inside each paper-thin seed sheath is a tiny embryo... if you hold a seed up to a light source, you should see a tiny squiggly thingy in the center... that's the embryo.

You can store the seeds or plant them... but keep in mind that as time passes, the rate of germination goes down, as the seeds will dry out and die. If you store them, place them in an airtight container and keep them out of direct sunlight, and places that are too cold or hot. They'll last approximately 6 months to a year in storage, but no longer.

It's actually best to plant them right away.

I am so glad to find this question and answer. I have one of those cheap amary. that you get at Christmas time. It comes in a pot and everything! (My mom gave it to me) I planted it outside and for two years now I have had great blooms and this year it even doubled in size and flowers. Then there were these strange bulb thingies left over and I didn't know what to do for sure. I wasn't sure if bulbs made seeds? Silly I know. Anyway today I noticed that they had dried out and popped open so I took them and there are bunches and bunches of papery black things. So I guess those are seeds! Now my hubby says, what do do w/ them? So thanks for the info!

There are a couple of different methods for germinating those seeds... there's a flotation method, where you would float those papery seeds in a container of water, and they'll sprout that way... but the method I use is the good old fashioned "planting them in soil like other seeds" method!

I just lightly cover them with potting soil, keep them moist, and watch them sprout and grow! They love the sunshine... and if you have a heating pad for plants, and are starting them indoors, bottom heat can speed up the process somewhat.

Honestly, though... nothing fancy is required... just plant them and have fun!

Should I do it now? I'm in central MS if that makes any difference. It's hhhoootttt already!

I would... only because Hippeastrum seed doesn't store well. You're lucky to get any germination at all after about 1 year of storage. The seeds are most viable when fresh, and since it takes anywhere between 2-5 years, or thereabouts, before you'll see blooms, the best way to proceed is planting the seed when it's fresh.

If you're worried about the heat, start them indoors in a sunny window, and simply treat them as houseplants for a while... until next spring, even. Or, you could start them in a shady, but bright, area outdoors. Remember, Hippeastrum originates in various areas of South America, so the ancestors of our hybrid bulbs are used to a little heat at times.

If you do a bit of poking around in this forum, you'll see that there is more than one way to grow and bloom these bulbs... I'm in zone 5, where summers are hot and winters are frigid. I grow my bulbs indoors, treating them as houseplants that require a lot of light. I keep mine in an east window, and I have supplemental lighting that extends the light several hours every day. I allow my bulbs to bloom as nature intended, which is normally in early spring, though a few will bloom in summer. In winter, they're usually resting.

I start my seeds in a flat with regular potting soil, keeping them consistently moist (but not soggy), and when the little plants outgrow their flat cells, I pot them in little community pots of 3 or more plants per 4" pot. As the little plants grow into marble sized bulbs, I begin to allow the soil more drying time in between waterings... and soon, I'm treating them just like their adult counterparts.

It takes roughly 2-5 years from seed to first bloom... 2 years would be with optimum conditions... though, you're probably looking at more like 3 or more years before a seed grown bulb will flower for the first time. There are too many variables to give an exact time frame, though the better you care for them and give them what they need, the shorter the time until bloom.

I hope this helps you somewhat... if you have any questions or need more information, this is the place to be! The forum is slow right now, but it's kind of off season... in autumn, when the ordering of fresh bulbs begins, it'll pick right up, and good luck getting a word in edgewise then! ;-)

Welcome to the forum... and yes, go right ahead and plant those seeds! Let us know how things go!

Thanks for all that info! I'm in zone 8 or 9 I think. Depends on where you look. We're almost on the MS/AL line, just a bit under the central part. Honestly I couldn't believe this plant even lived since it came from one of those cheap plastic pot things they sell at Christmas! It bloomed in the pot the first year and I put it in the ground afterwards and this year it doubled in size and had twice the blooms! We will be moving in about 6 years and I plan on taking all of my bulbs w/ me! I'm not leaving them!

You're very welcome!

I don't blame you for wanting to take your bulbs with when moving... I plan on doing the same thing! I don't know how I'll manage to move the amount of plants I've amassed, but I'm not leaving anyone behind! I probably have over 100 pots indoors, and several outdoors... not to mention all the perennials I'll have to dig, and the cuttings I plan to take... it will be some move, let me tell you!

The original bulb I began this whole obsession with is getting ready to bloom right now! Many years ago, I bought one of those cheap bulb kits from WalMart... it was a Minerva... at the time, I didn't really know what I was doing, but I did get rid of the plastic pot and put her in a clay pot. Even with all the neglect, she faithfully bloomed every February, only skipping a couple of years... she's been with me now for about 8 or 9 years, and she shares her large pot with her daughter bulb. I had despaired of seeing a bloom this season... but there she is, putting up an enormous scape! And her daughter bulb is following suit, with a scape of her own!

You're very lucky to be able to grow yours in the garden! Those bulbs should multiply quickly in your climate, creating a nice patch of blooms every year!

I wish you the best of luck with them! Feed them now and then, and remove the dead leaves and debris to keep the patch free of fungi and hiding places for insects... and they should reward you for years to come! Moving them will be as easy as digging the clump up and separating the bulbs... then just re-planting them when you arrive at your new home.

I can't seem to get the seedpods to mature. I had already pollinated the flowers and the pods are growing bigger in size but the stems holding them will start to dry off after about 2 weeks or so.