Dormancy/Storage in Holland with Mr. Paul Romjin (Royal Colors)
This is what our friends in Holland have to say about dormancy and storage. Some of their growing practices are the same as SA and some are different. Comparing both of them, you can see the required dormancy (cool period) for flower production/timing. Hope you learn from this as I did.
Thanks to Mr.Paul Romjin of Royal Colors for giving us some of his time in answering back my questions about this topic. Their bulbs in Holland are now in storage getting the required preparation so that when they are shipped to us (end of October), they will bloom at the predicted time.
"It is not nessecary to put an amaryllis bulb to rest, but in his original habitat (south of Brasil) is it just a natural process. In the wintertime the leaves die back and the new buds inside the bulb start to grow, but you already know this ;-)
With dormancy you can achieve to have them bloom at a certain date (as you mentioned), but also to have more scapes at once. To bring the bulbs into dormancy for 8-10 weeks, after a growing period from about 8 months, storage at 13 deg Celsius, will encourage the new buds inside the bulb to grow. At this temperature the difference between scape 1 and 2 (or sometimes scape 3) will become smaller. Once the bulb is planted again after the 8-10 weeks dormancy, you will have a bigger change to have them bloom with 2 scapes at the same time.
The 13 deg Celsius is just the avarage between 9 deg C and 17 deg C. Storage at 9 deg C encourages the new leaves and storage at 17 deg C encourages the new scapes. But I have to say that storage at 17 deg C will enlarge the difference between scape 1 and 2. To have a nice plant with 2 scapes and some new leaves, you should store the bulb at 13 deg Celsius.
It is also not bad at all that in warmer areas the bulbs do not rest. In nothern-brasil, were there is almost not any difference in temperature during summer/winter, amaryllis are grown in 14 months from cutting-bulb to a large 32-34cm bulb. Also without a dormancy period.
You can properly store the bulbs in a dry, well ventilated room between the 9 and 17 deg C (45-65F). The humidity should be between 75% and 85%. Not above 85%, because you can get fungus on the bulb which can cause Stagonospora or red blotch. The ventilation is also important to avoid fungus-growth.
The profit of store the bulb planted is that the bulb can immediately start to grow when you start watering again. Re-potting is sometimes not even neccesary and can damage the roots. If the bulb has grown a lot, is it better to take of the pot and plant the whole bulb+soil in a larger pot and put some fresh soil around it. Commercial cut-flower growers grow the bulb for years in the same growing-medium like Perlite or clay-grains. It is important before the growing starts to fertilize the ground or potting soil."
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soultan
jodik_gw
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