I found out the same things about my bulbs by almost killing a couple of them with kindness, as the saying goes... I tend to hover, water too soon, and I was growing them in the wrong type of medium! I also know now that I could have gotten a lot more out of them if I would have fed them better!

I have since switched to a mixture of coco coir and vermiculite, with a handful or two of good potting soil added for body and texture... I bought a water meter, have several types of fertilizers available, and supplement the natural window light with a couple of hours extra from some grow lights... although, I do need better grow lights.

The weird thing is... I've had a $3 Minerva bulb for years and years... I thought I was treating it poorly, neglecting it as I did... but I found out, with the help of all my friends here on the forum, that I was doing just fine!

I, personally, think that some hybrid varieties are more sensitive than others, or have a genetically inferior immune system... some bulbs just seem to be more prone to rot, and tend to not recover from an over-watering as easily as some other bulbs... It is my thought that the reason the 3 most commonly sold bulbs ARE the most common, is that they are the strongest, genetically speaking... they are easier for the average person to grow without too much trouble... It's not that they're the most beautiful, or the largest, or anything like that... it's that they are tough, and can take a bit of abuse without giving up the ship, so to speak...

Those are my opinions, but from what I've been through with my first Minerva and my first Apple Blossom, and adding to that the fact that we've been the top breeder of Performance American Bulldogs for the last 25 years in this country... I have a bit of experience with how genetics work...

If you look closely at the big picture, you notice that most new flowers, and not just Hippeastrums, are more beautiful but not as hardy or tough as their ancestors. Most growers, not all but most, are thinking in terms of units sold, not of creating a better plant! Breeding tends to go the way of larger flowers, brighter and new colors, etc... all aimed at selling more units! They aren't necessarily breeding toward stronger plants, better root systems, higher immunity to diseases that afflict bulbs...

I am actually not doing right by my bulbs in breeding them together with color and petal shape in mind... what I should be doing is observing which varieties are the strongest and healthiest... and working first with those to keep those attributes, and then work toward color and shape... aesthetics are nice, but not if the plant can't survive! In breeding dogs, we know that "form follows function"... that's a little tougher to translate into the plant world!

Anyway... getting back to the original idea, which was how close to orchid growing, bulb growing is... I only have 2 orchids, and the Phal is not doing so good... but after visiting the orchid forum, and reading a very long diatribe about Phal culture and newbies, I discovered that I'm probably not allowing it to dry out enough between waterings... and that placing a wooden skewer into the medium to be used as a moisture gauge may save its life!

I wouldn't place Hippeastrum culture that close to orchid culture, but then, I haven't had enough time with orchids to know... you may be very right, Blayz!

I do know one thing for sure, though... a little neglect can actually help Hippeastrums in the long run, and I'm speaking mainly of the hybrids... over-watering or wet roots has probably killed more bulbs than all other ways they can possibly die, combined!

I have more to say on the subject, but I'll let it rest right there for now... as everyone knows, I'm a novelist when it comes to posting, but a novice when it comes to the perfect culture of Hippeastrums... every bulb I have ever bought or received is alive, so I must be doing alright... getting them all to bloom next year will tell me how "alright" I'm doing!

Blayz,

I am starting to look at them as having similar needs as some of the 'ground orchids'. Living and growing plants in S. Florida usually means that I can't follow directions on how to grow plants based upon what works almost everywhere else. So, if I am fortunate, I find some other subtropical grower to guide me or I have to suffer the losses from experimenting.

This is only my second year of growing hippeastrum. But I was so enthralled by my purchase of "Appleblossom" (and this forum's gentle way of "hooking" me into hippeastrums) that I decided to buy more. Last year the Appleblossom bulb grew in regular potting soil amended with a small amount of regular orchid mix to offer greater drainage and I had to repot twice because it became so root bound that it could not hold water long enough. This year I was experimenting with a few things for orchids and because the new hippeastrum bulbs have so few roots, tried to amend the potting soil with coir, lava rock and or hydroponic clay pellets and so far so good (using a large % of coir required me to pay greater attention to my watering because it may appear dry on top when it is not -- still learning.
Soil and watering - WOW - there is so much to learn here. Since I know it is beneficial for them to be outside (except that from what I have read on this forum, H. Papillio may be a house plant (stud plant) I have to find a mixture that drains very fast because our summers are humid with lots of rain. This has to be balanced with the needs of a mostly dry cool winter. I have killed my share of orchids from overwatering and I know that success or failure can depend heavily on how long a mixture holds water which depends on the temperature, humidity and air circulation

I have found that I can keep all my ground orchids in full sun during the winter and the Appleblossom did well too. I can tell when the sun is getting too strong as the leaves yellow and they dry out too quickly.
I am trying something new with two ground orchids (peristeria elata - dove orchid and a cymbidium) - they are planted in fresh horse manure - yes fresh! You can google the method of the late Nic van den Bosch an Aussie orchid grower who lived in Tasmania. Anyway, the two orchids I tried this on were languishing (actually slowly declining)and so in they went! Amazingly they almost immediately decided to continue their existance and even grow. I am considering trying something similar with outside hippeastrum in pots - maybe! (note: there are ph issues that may need to be considered) But again, I have to learn how to water all over again, because until their roots grew down into the manure, I had to water almost daily because the fresh manure drains so quickly.

Anyway, sorry for rambling, but like you I would love some advice from those with greater experience with growing these wonderful plants then me. I would like to hear of the failures as well as successs so that I don't repeat what has proven not to work.

Soooo much to learn, so much to learn, so much to learn..........

Personally, I don't think there is ONE PERFECT RECIPE for growing hippeastrums... or any other plant, for that matter... since we all live in different zones with different climates, we all have to adjust our culture accordingly...

I'm in zone 5... we have hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters! Indoors, we have air-conditioning in summer, or fans circulating the air... in winter, we have furnaces running... and there are many types of heating systems, most of which tend to dry out the indoor air horribly... without humidifiers, anything moist in the home tends to give up that moisture to the air...

So, how I grow my bulbs isn't going to be the same as how someone in another climate grows theirs...

That said, I think we can all agree with the fact that hippeastrums are very sensitive to the amount of moisture they get, and how long their roots and the portion of the bulb that's immersed in medium stay wet... and I know that most of them have certain feeding requirements... other than that, we all have to play it by ear, as it were, and choose growing medium, pots, lighting and any other needs based on the environment we have or can provide for them.

A very long time ago, when I first began growing houseplants and gardening with serious intent, I was told to "stick my finger in the soil up to the second knuckle... and to think of the soil ball as a kitchen sponge... it should feel damp, like a sponge that has been wrung out, not soaking or dripping wet... if any moisture can be felt when doing this, it's too soon to water." I have kept that adage in the back of my mind, and it has served me well. Although, I do admit to not taking my own advice at times, and watering when I know I really should have waited another day or two... and that's what gets me into trouble, time and again... too much kindness!

Other than the basics, I can only report on what works, or doesn't work, for me in my situation.

Now, I would never even consider using fresh manure of any kind to plant directly in! Aged cow manure, I would consider. Nature's fertilizers are probably the best, and the chemically created ones are probably not the greatest thing to use for the healthiest plants... but again, we each have to decide what is in our plants' best interest.

My recipe for healthy plants is this: I take the basics, which I know to be true, add a grain of salt to balance what everyone else says, a pinch of what I read in magazines and books, a dash of my own previous experiences, and a lot of common sense, mix it all up, and hopefully I come out the other end with beautiful flowers and thriving plants.

No, I really don't think that they are like orchids; but a lot of plants do require similar conditions: very few like to be overwatered or too dry; depending, of course, on the plant.

I have limited experience with orchids, but I will say one thing... neither type of plant likes to be over-watered! And I know this because I've almost killed a bulb or two by over-watering! And now my new Phal is trying to recover from my act of over-kindness! You live and learn...

I don't think you can generalize and compare orchids to hippeastrums, mainly because there are so many different kinds of orchids, and not all of them require the same care... (I snuck over to the orchid forum and did a bit of reading!)

Jodik, Your are right - you can't generalize when comparing with orchids. There are thousands of orchids requiring very different environments depending obviously on where they originated (deserts to rain forests to cold mountains etc - orchids living on rocks, trees and in the ground). However, I have a few "ground orchids" that have done well in the soil mixture I mentioned and the reason I decided to use the same mxture for the hippis is that it is light, drains well and firm enough to hold the plant in place.

Hopflower, did you mean that the potting soil, coir, hydroton clay pellet, mixture wouldn't work (I also add a little sand)or just that you didn't think orchids and hippis had similar requirements? Please let me know if you think the mixture could be problematic. I really like these plants and would like to keep them alive and well and show pictures next year when they flower.
I am greatfull for all the wonderful help and willingness to share information on this forum. I lurk on many garden forums but almost never post --- but you all are so nice to each other!

Pull up a keyboard and join us! Please do continue to post, Jstropic! We're always up for a good discussion, or to help if we can! I'm a novice hippeastrum grower and a brand new breeder, but I'm happy to share what I've learned here!

I notice a lot of bickering on some of the other forums, and people aren't very eager to help and answer questions on some... personally, I think this is the finest group of gardeners anywhere! This is my "home" on the internet, and these are my friends!

Maybe we are all nice and easy-going because we have learned patience from our bulbs! I think it takes a special kind of person to nurture and care about something that grows so slowly and flowers only once, or twice if we're lucky, a year! I don't know, but I do agree that everyone here is very nice! :-)

I just meant that many flowers have similar requirements in many cases and that there are so many kinds of orchids that a general statement could not really be made by myself in that arena. Then again, perhaps the orchids that you grow do require much the same as hippeastrums. Then you would form that opinion, of course.

Not everyone is nice on these forums, either. But a lot of them are. I have seen some internet bickering several times on this forum, and been the victim of it in one or two cases. Personally I think that the Orchid Forum has some very nice people on it. I do not hang out there much as I do not really have a stong interest in orchids, but some people do, and they are indeed popular. I like a few, but mostly they are Cattleyas and not much else!

I think you will find that people are people just about anywhere and you get some nasty, argumentative people who like to victimise others even when they don't know them ( and sometimes BECAUSE they don't know them and think they can get away with it!), and those who are polite, kind, and genuinely want to get along. They are interested in other people and horticulture and are here to have a nice time. I am one of those, and I like to talk with those who are like-minded! I don't necessarily mean that they agree with someone all the time; but they are polite and respectful toward others even when they don't. They are not self-centered or egotistical; nor do they gang up on others with their friends. They are just real and nice and here for the same reason that many of us are.... to share in something that we love!

Well said, Hopflower! I've always felt that gardening is to be shared... it's too wonderful and amazing to keep to ones self!