Half of every living thing is genetic, and the other half is environmental... meaning, part of what makes a bulb a strong or prolific specimen is within its genes, but part of it is also up to you and the care you give it.

The oldest bulb I have is a 10 year old Minerva. She blooms for me almost every spring. The couple of years she hasn't bloomed, she was either moved, or she was disturbed to be re-potted. But once she got settled in and filled her new pot with roots, she bloomed right on time... in early spring.

With the proper care and light, your bulbs should be able to gather the energy necessary to set buds, and to bloom on the schedule you have set.

Once your bulbs finish blooming, give them the best light you can, and begin a decent feeding regimen with a good fertilizer. If all the cultural variables are the best you can provide, your bulbs should regain size, and regain the energy necessary to bloom again their following cycle.

Well, this fits with what I've observed with most plants so far. It seems there are always some cultivars that just really go all out, and some that just don't do as much. Like this Appleblossom has bloomed and bloomed for me, while I have a bulb that was labeled "Pink Diamond" that has done nothing but have four leaves at a time and never any bloom. I still don't know what it really is, and I've had it for two years. I just wonder if the "old standbys" are so popular because they are easier to get to bloom well. On the other hand, I notice for example that day lilies grown back in Ohio where I grew up are much more robust looking and not so tattered as the ones that are growing out here in SD, so environmental aspects always play their part. I'd be embarrassed to put photos of my hippies up with how they look after a summer in the wind! Maybe kboehm would get the hippie police to stop the sale of these bulbs in SD! :For fertilizer I've been using Schultz liquid fertilizers, they come in "African Violet" flavor (8-14-9) and "General Houseplant" flavor" (10-15-10) and also "cactus flavor" (2-7-7), but the store quit carrying it. I recently switched from general to the African violet flavor for the Hippies, and I use it when they are actively growing.

I can't remember what the post was, but someone was writing on this forum about an old bulb that they had to do some kind of surgery on not because of rot but because it was so old and the basal plate was some weird way that I didn't understand, but they needed to cut it. I was worried that my appleblossom was going to die of old age soon, so I am happy to hear that your Minerva is still going strong. Thanks for your reply, and good advice.

aseedisapromise (love that name!), like you, I am new to hippes and bought the cheapies to learn on. Smart idea because I even bought a bulb without any noticeable roots and watching to see if there actually are any coming out now. If you stay with this Forum, you will garner a ton of info from Jodi and several others. The generosity and knowledge on this particular Forum bowles me over sometimes. In fact, try to read each post on this page and about the last 3 pages. Very, very helpful. You'll see that some of the contributors have been on this Forum for several years. And their pictures will knock your sox off. You won't need a book.
Pat

I definitely think that the three most common varieties are common due to certain overall genetic traits... such as strength, blooming ability, ease of growing for amateurs, etc...

They also represent the most common colors... red & white, red, and pink.

When a bulb gets very mature and its basal plate gets very thick, this can have a tendency to inhibit proper or full root growth, from what I gather. In order to rejuvenate an old bulb, part of the basal plate's thickness is sliced off, making a thinner layer for roots to grow from. I've never attempted this, myself, but then I haven't noticed any decline in my oldest bulb, so I don't think there's a need to worry about it quite yet.

I tend to avoid all bulb surgeries if at all possible. The only time I cut into a bulb, at all, is to remove any rotting parts in order to save the bulb. And this wouldn't be so necessary so often within the general world of Hippeastrums if the bulbs were grown in a medium that doesn't create a consistently wet environment, perfect for the onslaught of fungal issues.

More plants are killed by improper watering than by any other one problem... that's a fact. Once we learn what each of our plants requires, keeping them healthy is so much easier. Hippeastrums almost thrive on neglect... almost! They do require care, of course, but I think a lot of people tend to baby them, which includes too much water, or they simply don't have the time to devote, or the passion for growing these bulbs... and this can include things like a scheduled watering for every plant, whether it needs it or not. And we all know that this won't result in really happy plants.

I feed with MiracleGro All Purpose liquid plant food... its NPK is 12-4-8, which is a decent average for most plants. I'd like to use Foliage Pro, but I'm not buying any until I use up the bottle of MiracleGro... it's a simple question of economics. I can't afford to buy more fertilizer until what I have is gone.

I've got several bulbs that have never bloomed. One is an Amputo, a white trumpet shaped variety, that has never flowered. It grows leaves every spring and rests every winter, but it has yet to give blooms. I think it will eventually, and I'm not giving up on it just yet.

If my conditions included massive perpetual winds, I'd grow indoors, for sure... even if it meant installing a light fixture to supplement the window's offered sunlight.

I do grow exclusively indoors... although it's more fear of NBF, and lack of a protected area outdoors that keeps my bulbs indoors. There are too many critters, and too many people around to safely leave my potted bulbs outdoors. They'd either get ruined, over watered, or be attacked by NBF... and I have better control over everything indoors.

Because different bulbs are different, I think some will respond better to your culture methods than others. You just have to find the combination of care that works for you and your particular...

Well, I think that since my other plants are mostly cactus and succulents, that I'm okay with not watering much. Probably inside care might be better, and I have some good south exposure windows, but I'm not sure about sun. DH likes all blinds closed in summer to keep hot sun out of the house. So it's a trade off.

So Jodik's fertilizer has way more nitrogen than phosphorous or potassium. I have to think about this. I thought bulbs liked more phosphorous?

The non-blooming Pink Diamond is in a pot that is a bit more square in cross section than the other bulbs' pots, so maybe there isn't as much room for root growth. I am thinking of repotting it in a taller pot.

Yes, patann, this is a most informative and encouraging forum. The people are wonderful, and generous with what they know, and respectful of each other. Thanks again!

Way back in the beginning, when I got my very first bulb and I knew nothing about growing them, I would tend to neglect all my houseplants to a degree.

At that time, I had a south facing bay window with a large oak tree that filtered the harsh sunlight somewhat. All my plants, the one bulb included, were stuffed into that bay window space. I would forget to water, and I'd suddenly notice that my large spider plants were wilting and getting brown leaf tips... and I'd rush to water everything!

That poor care is probably what kept my poor Minerva going. And, it's probably what keeps the bulbs on my current north and south windowsills growing so well... I don't tend to baby them, at all. I do, however, baby some of the plants in my east window jungle area, and I think that's part of what any problems are... I'm inadvertently over watering.

Knowing exactly when to water can be a difficult thing. Even though the soil surface and a few inches down feel bone dry, there might still be moisture around the root ball, in the center of the pot. And, even though soil might feel dry to the touch of human hands, plants can still pull moisture out of it in vapor form. So... knowing exactly when the time is right can be quite a guessing game! I think it's best to err on the side of DRY... and if you're not sure, wait another day, at least.

When it comes to fertilizers, I'm not all that knowledgeable... however, I do know that whatever is used must be in a form that's immediately usable to plants. A container environment does not have the army of micro-organisms and worms necessary to turn organic material into food, or to break down fertilizer that's not in usable form, like an outdoor garden bed would have... and so, I feel it's best to use a plant food that's as complete and balanced as possible, and add in micro-nutrients if the fertilizer doesn't contain them.

I use an all purpose liquid, mainly because there really isn't a specific fertilizer sold for Hippeastrums. The Container Gardening Forum has some great threads on fertilizers and plant needs pertaining to feeding. It's the one area I'd like to learn more about, but in the meantime, an all purpose liquid suits my needs just fine.

Yes, this is probably one of the most laid back, generous, encouraging forums, with great people and a lot of very good information on Amaryllids! It's my favorite forum here!

"Maybe kboehm would get the hippie police to stop the sale of these bulbs in SD!"

Sorry all, I have no connection to the hippi police!! Had to laugh. Do I come across as that much of a meanie? Geez. I just hate someone slaughtering bulbs for retail sale.

The windiest place I've ever been in my entire life was the night I spent in Plankinton, SD...so I don't see how anything survives that wind.

Actually, I'm very nice...just sticking up for those who can't speak for themselves, bulbs included!!

:-p Kristi

Don't worry, Kristi... I'm with you! I, too, can't stand the thought that making a huge profit is more important than selling a quality item so people will enjoy their growing experience... as in slaughtering bulbs for retail sales!

There are no "hippi police", but if someone doesn't complain so the bulb industry is kept honest, what will happen to the bulbs we all love? They'll go the way of everything else... nothing more than a cheap, shoddy, disposable item that we'll have no choice but to accept.