I'm pretty sure you'll have to grow them in containers. Jim Shields and I have both tried to grow them successfully here in Zone6 a and we've had absolutely no luck :( I think you should for sure try but make sure you've got a few inside just in case :)

Josh

I think Josh is correct...pull them up now with as many roots as possible and plant in the largest pots you can find. As far as growing them in zone 5 I think you're out of luck, that's mighty cold...I'm in 6b and I was going to leave a few in the ground for an experiment, but I chickened out!

About 4/5 weeks ago we had the threat of a hurricane so we pull about 8 bulbs from a large whiskey barrel and re-potted them and got most of the roots and they did fine with little of any setback, they are still growing. I would think that growing in a whiskey barrel would be about the same as growing in the ground. Give it a try and if you can't keep all of them when you move, keep the biggest and give the rest away... Good Luck and Good Luck with your move...

Donna

So definitely keep them growing instead of forcing dormancy and dry storing them. That's a shame they can't quite make it up in the great white north. I had high hopes for them since they pulled through single digits this past winter without a single loss.

Radar, alternatively you could pull them up now, remove the leaves and let them dry out for a few days, then bag them up. I use the mesh bags that you get onions or oranges in, though some folks just use paper bags. While you're at it you can give them a cold rest during the winter so when you plant them after you're all moved they'll bloom again in the spring for you - either in the ground or in a pot. I do think in Ohio you're going to need to lift them in the fall or otherwise bring them inside. This way they'll be less trouble to move.

I put mine in a combination of ground and planters during the summer and lift them every fall (last weekend and this weekend's plans!), remove the leaves, let them rest then replant in the spring. Though this year I'm going to try to leave out some Red Lions and see how the fare.

Good luck with everything! Alana

Radar,

H. xjohnsonii is the hardiest of them all *that we know of*, it is said to withstand very cold temperatures but I couldn't get them to come back here in central Indiana. I think if you want to really try and grow them up here you should wait until spring to plant them so they can get nice and established and plant them deep. I would also cover them with a nice layer of mulch in the fall. You have to get them into a part of the ground that doesn't freeze. When bulbs make it down south in cold weather it's probably because it didn't last long enough to thoroughly freeze the ground, up here the ground stays rock hard for many, many months :(

It's sad, I know, maybe one day we'll find a Hippeastrum that's able to tolerate pretty cold weather and we can go from there :)

First, let me say, welcome to the great white north....not that far north, but close enough!

When we sold our house we simply put in the contract and made it known to our real estate agent what was not going to go with the house.......various light fixtures would be removed and the wires properly dealt with, etc. Check with the real estate agent, but as long as it is explicitly stated as an amendment to the contract that the bulbs will be removed and the ground properly restored (in other words no big holes left for people to fall in) then you can dig them after the house is sold and you are actually ready to move.....the way it worked in AL and PA at least.

Best of luck with the move and welcome to the world of growing under lights :o) Dan