Jodi's method is as close to this "natural" method as any I've seen. This doesn't get the hippes bloomin' for Christmas but it lets nature be in charge.

While I like this method of potting and moving the bulb along, it really isn't practical for those of us who are addicted to these wonderful bulbs. I do, however, pot my bulbs in larger pots to begin with, know that the more root room, the better the root system and that is what produces the best "plant" and then bloom.

I do not keep my collection in a lighted area year round, but I also do not force dormancy and any bulbs that still have healthy foliage are given better light and I continue to water the potted bulbs, even those in a darkened area of my basement. I then allow each bulb to indicate when it is ready to begin new growth by carefully observing them and watching for any elongation of the old foliage (stump) or new growth peaking out of the bulb. I will often see pups beginning to grow before the mother bulb.

One can usually depend on HORTICULTURE MAG to give the newest tips and recommendation for growing plants. Now there's one magazine everyone should subscribe to!

I agree, Rebecca, we can't all sue the "perfect" process, but need to adapt parts of it to our own. I don't have the room to bring the bulbs back in over to a sunny window the winter so in the garage they go, but until them I give them all the room for root and leaf growth they can use. Thanks for posting the piece Anna. I think I might need to put that magazine on my Christmas list.
Alana

Yes, it's a great magazine, and that piece I got from their e-newsletter, which I think is free, but I'm not sure. I too don't have the space to put my 100+ bulbs in any sunny windows, so they go in the basement, and I don't lop off any leaves until they definitely shows signs of decline, usually going limp and yellowing are the signs.

I think it's interesting at this time of the year to "browse" what the big publications have to say about our beloved bulbs. Many say- tightly pot, put in a drainage layer... alot of "80's" stuff. I like the fact that the authors of this article at least seem to understand alot about how the bulbs are grown.

I agree with everyone else however that this advice may be appropriate for someone growing in the south or just growing a few bulbs. I like Anna have too many to keep green all year. I may sacrifice a few blooms but would have about 20% as many if I had to keep them all growing all year!

I also love Horticulture mag (is this Canadian or American- has my subscription run out? Ooops...) But we as gardeners know that every individual has their own unique situation (a beautiful thing!)and we have to work with our individual set of issues. Good subject!
Sally

Even for those who force dormancy like myself, there will always be some plants that resist by holding on to one or more leaves and those plants this year for me were Aphrodite, Pink Diamond and Elvas and are shooting up flowers for the holidays. Aphrodite is on it's second scape and Pink Diamond has a scape that looks like a corn stalk! The point I'm trying to make is that these treasures all have a mind of their own and some of their internal clocks will be set for the holidays for us to enjoy even if we treat them as evergreen, some will bloom for us. They all have a mind of their own.....but then you all know that anyway.............Donna

I disagree with a lot of the "commercial" approach as written in various articles... and even on the tags of the bulbs we buy.

I have found, through experience, that "keeping the soil moist" can be very detrimental. Drainage layers in pots are also detrimental... they cause a perched water table which keeps excess moisture hung up in the lower portion of the upper layer. Using one single layer of medium in a container negates any perched water table, and helps excess water drain properly. It also leaves a larger area for roots to colonize.

Through experience and time served, I've found that hippeastrum bulbs have cultural needs more closely resembling those of succulents. They prefer to dry out a bit in between waterings.

The larger the pot, the more growing room... for both roots and for the bulb and its bulblets. However, if you are using a moisture retentive medium, a large pot won't work very well because there will be a larger mass of moisture retentive soil holding moisture. It will take the pot longer to dry out, thereby creating an environment for fungi and molds to grow and colonize.

If you are using a free draining, fast draining, aerated, gritty medium, a larger pot can be utilized to allow more room for the roots and bulb to grow. This type of medium can be watered on a more regular basis, and it won't stay too moist.

I've read articles about how to get your bulbs to flower more than once annually, and basically, what you're doing is stressing out the bulb, forcing short dormancies upon it, and making it bloom until it becomes nothing more than an empty husk that you throw away.

While it's true that we each must choose what we feel are the best methods for growing our plants of choice, many of the articles written about the hippeastrum bulb and its culture have the distinct ring of commercialism to them.

I prefer letting nature takes its own course, and keeping my bulbs around for a very long time. I enjoy investing the time and energy into their growth, and I'm never disappointed in their performance, whether they flower annually or not.

Bigger, more colorful, better blooms are a mark of the commercial market. Healthy bulbs and sturdy stems and leaves, good root systems, longevity and hardiness are marks of a breeder who cares. Yes, lovely flowers are important, too... but a good breeder always takes the total package into consideration, and doesn't sacrifice all the good traits just for one.

I've dropped most of my magazine subscriptions because so many of them are over filled with ads these days, and seem to have a lot less content.

I think the important thing to remember is... regardless of how you choose to grow your bulbs, we don't have to be slaves to the commercial/retail markets. There are other choices available to us... such as choosing to mix our own medium with the ingredients we feel are best for growing in our environment, etc.

Depends where you live. Even a huge pot will dry out here in the middle of summer in hours if in full sun. If I tried growing my plants in sticks and rocks I'd have to stand there with a watering can all day! This past month it's rained or been foggy every day so nothing has dried out.

I just read gardening mags for the pics and take it all with a grain of salt, they are written for the middle of the country. I drool over bearded iris and cottage gardens and grow tropicals and ignore most of what I'm told. My hippies are planted in the garden for the most part, I buy new ones every year, put them in pots until they finish blooming then plant them in the garden. There are 4 bulbs at home waiting to go in this week.

Tally HO!

I would absolutely love to plant my Hippeastrums out in the garden, and leave them there all year... that would be great! But, I'm a slave to my local climate, if not to anything else.

If I grew in sticks and rocks, I'd be watering all the time, too... even indoors. That's why I don't use sticks and rocks... I use fir bark fines, granite chips, perlite, and my ultimate medium is balanced with turface, which retains plenty of moisture. Other ingredients, such as vermiculite, can hold a lot of moisture, as well.

The moisture retention aspect is only one reason why I use the mix I use... there are many other reasons behind my switch from basic retail bagged junk.

I do enjoy the photographs in some of the gardening magazines, but I just can't afford the annual fee for something I can see and read about online for free. Birds & Blooms is one that I really like, though... I may renew.

To me fir bark is stick, granite chips are rocks, perlite is that stuff that washes out into the gutter. But what I grow my plants in would kill yours! Location, location, location.

You should see the amaryllis in spring. There are several areas that they are planted so thick you can see the flowers from the highway!!!! Especially around Alvin/Algoa. It's incredible.
Tally HO!

Well... I wouldn't term my medium choice "sticks and rocks" because it's so much more! Size and general shape of particles, and their capacity to do what they do makes them a very logical choice for healthy roots.

Logistics is very important... this much is true... but even in an inhospitable environment, a mix of the right particles will net excellent results. The only reason I stand so firmly behind my choice, and variables of it for different environments, is because I've been down the road of pretty much every other soil option there is. Experience and the science behind what I do have given me a good perspective, and have shown me the way.

I don't want to argue, but I'd be willing to bet that the right set of ingredients in a gritty mix would even net excellent results in your environment. It would simply be a slightly different mix than I would use in mine. You would need an ingredient that retained more moisture, is all.

As long as the roots' needs are met, and you have the time to devote to checking your containers on a daily basis, well... I'm not trying to convince you that it's the only way, because it's not... but if you haven't tried a proper variation of "sticks and rocks" for your environment, you might not be aware of what the results can be. :-)

But enough about mediums...

I always have half a mind to buy several leftover boxed kits from the clearance rack, and keep the bulbs dormant until spring... then plant them in a group out in the garden. I would love to see a small patch of flowering Hippeastrums here, in the Midwest! I may do so, if I can find a low enough price...

The only thing that even comes close here are the gorgeous patches of Naked Ladies seen in summer! I love those, too!

I agree, this magazine is quite enjoyable. However, for me, it's mostly plants that would never have any hope of growing in my climate, so I enjoy them vicariously through the magazine.

Climate/location is probably the most important consideration when choosing an appropriate medium. A good knowledge of the optimum conditions for a plant, combined with an understanding of how the various ingredients in any growing medium function, can help you blend the perfect mix for your climate. There's no "one right answer".

Phoenix Ryan