I experienced so considerable differences in blooming performance dependent on the storage conditions of bulbs. From best to worst: pre-year bulbs in pots, undisturbed, stored at 9-17°C. pre-year bulbs in pots, 9-17°C, removed and replanted prior to forcing pre-year bulbs removed and stored in peat, 9-17°C pre-year and freshly bought bulbs with dried roots, 9-17°Celsius ... Bulbs with dry roots kept a prolonged time at >17°Celsius. And: Bulbs without roots (very poor performance, dependent on the cultivar) I do not agree that blooming of knight star lily is undifferentially regarded as binary event only (yes/no) I want to encourage everyone seriously interested in the subject to access knowledge of the massive spectacle what an amaryllis bulb bears hidden inside - only to be evoked by carefull husbandry, understanding that an entity of untouched roots is essential for full maximal performance. So at least everything practible should be done to save the deplorable poor remainder of a previous root entity which is attached to a marketed hippeastrum bulb. SO: Plant your freshly bought bulbs IMMEDIATELY. In CoCo fiber substrate, just a little bit moist (the correct degree of moisture being obtained by compressing aliquots with your fists thus removing the excessive amount. Store the pots at 9 to 13°Celsius - and keep the substrate just moist - most preferably from below (taking into consideration that no one will believe me *ggg* - but the water administration from below is another darling subject of mine *ggg* - not today. Hans-Werner

Elizabeth...Thanks! I have an old digital camera that I use in taking pics of my flowers because it gives out the real color. I would do just the same about picking out bulbs with nice white roots if I had a choice. Unfortunately, most of my bulbs are ordered in the internet and I have to do with what is sent. So far my purchases these season are all doing good. I think I might try to use some Superthrive and hope it will root faster. Soultan...nice pic! Could you share with us some details on bloom count and size, bulb circumference and # of scapes? I now highly consider these factors in evaluating an amaryllis...thanks!

In your zone, they're best planted in containers and kept indoors during cold weather. Amaryllis are really Hippeastrum, and they're tender bulbs originating in South America. You can plant them outside in spring, after the danger of frost has passed, but they will need to be dug and stored for winter, like Cannas or Glads. If you're interested in growing them, you can find a wealth of great information here in the forum... from basic culture to forcing, and beyond! Most of us who post here on a regular basis are bulb addicts, and some of us delve into pollinating and breeding different crosses. Hippeastrum bulbs are really easy to grow once you know the basics, and the flowers are like no others, large and gorgeous! Once you've given growing them a try, and had some success, there's a distinct possibility that you'll become as hooked as we are! In any case, we're here to help... so, if you have questions, we'll do our best to answer. Hippeastrum bulbs prefer a porous, well-draining soil, and they hate to have wet feet... it's best to allow the soil to dry out a bit in between waterings. They need lots of sunlight, decent air circulation, and fertilizer every once in a while. They can be grown as houseplants, in which case they'll normally flower in spring if they're getting good care. Good Luck!

Hans, the leaves are beautiful and green. I generally had weak results with this company's bulbs. I haven't seen any of the 10 blooming yet. Jodi, Neither Vesuvius, nor Jade Serpent are sick at my place. They are very slow shooting up scapes, that is for sure. I have not seen either of them in bloom yet. I suspect that they are Hadeco bulbs, so they like to get planted very early in the season, so the fact that we got them so late stunted their flowering capability. I don't give up on them though. I will see how they do this coming season, and I will plant them as soon as possible, right in September-October. Also, the scape that is emerging from Vesuvius, also "discolored" here. I believe it is because this variety is a deep red colored flower, so it has this special discoloration. Infestation would show up with a visible scar that you can actually touch on the surface. I believe that these three bulbs have insufficient roots developed. Have you checked them? I have seen short scape on Fanfare, but the flowers are fanfare, and the scape and growth is healthy, so the late planting and lack of roots that I'd blame it on. I have had a lot of first year bulbs that did that to me, and I almost always discovered that they had no roots, or just very weak ones, then when they finished pretending blooming, they got very strong and grew wonderful leaves and cemented themselves to the dirt with their roots... Though I cannot rule out the infestation, that is for sure, because I don't know anything about the forementioned Misty you had the same problem with. I just rely on my own experiences with the Hadeco minis that were in the same package, so I should have infestation as well if they were sick. Maria got them now too, so she can tell us if they are sick or not. I believe they are not. They are just planted way late. Sorry about that.