Hi yesimarose: I've posted this response elsewhere and am modifying it very briefly - mostly due to the time factor - lots of stuff to plant - I am still working out in the garden planting some last minute items, I decided to take a short "coffee break" ;>) - mostly to warm up a bit - and saw your posting. If you've planted your Amaryllis, unpot it, and buy a far bigger pot and re-pot it - as soon as possible - per the recommended suggestions discussed below. I've grown these bulbs for a number of years and one of the "tricks" is to place them in a much larger pot than is usually recommended. Currently, I have a Amaryllis bulb planted in a 16 inch diamter pot and it is doing very, very well. If fact, it has three "kids" growing around the mother bulb. Many years ago, when I went to repot one of my bulbs and noted that the roots of these bulbs were comparatively large and I came to the conclusion that the usually recommended procedure of the "forcing" i.e. planting - of these bulbs in pots that are just an inch or two larger than the diameter of the bulb is FALSE - mainly because there is insufficient room for root growth and equally insufficient room for the take up of nutrients let alone enough room for good nourishment. In short, there seems to be no logic to place these bulbs in a 'straight-jacket' and expect them to grow in stature or longevity. No human being can "grow" under such straight-jacket conditions, so why should we come to believe that the same method should be more than 'suitable' for plants. Doesn't make any sense. Consequently, I repotted my bulbs in much larger pots 12 - 16 inches minimum. Of course, I trimmed the roots and got rid of much of the 'old' soil and gave the bulb a nice new home of good potting soil. I would highly recommend that you pot your Amaryllis in a good sized 14 or 16 inch pot with some depth to it. One of the consequences of this development was the magnificant array of blooms that I experienced in their third year of growth. Not only did the bulb grow larger, but the mother bulb gave 'birth' to several 'kids' so that I ended up with three or four or more stalks all full of bloom one Christmas. Lovely - absolutely lovely. I had two stalks coming off of the mother bulb. One of the responses to your posting has given you photographic evidence of this occurrence. When this number of bulbs are in bloom, they are a joy to experience. I did repot my current bulb in the fall of last year into a 16 inch pot, because I had one 'kid' who was making it's appearance. We have a horticultural program where I work and I donated the 'kid' to the program and it was potted up in a nice large pot. Sure enough, the 'kid' came into bloom this spring. Another source for my idea and inspiration was the story I was told about one of the former employees working at Kelly's Seed & Hardware in Peoria, IL. This employee - of German heritage - planted his Amaryllis bulbs outside in the late spring and early summer in a very deeply prepared and in a very loose soil structure. He fertilized and watered them on a regular basis and ended up with Soccer sized Amaryllis bulbs in the late fall. I would have loved to see his bulbs and talked with him about how he accomplished this, but I do think that planting these bulbs in far larger pots than usually recommended is very beneficial (and equally enjoyable). With regard to a suggested soil mixture, I would purchase a very good, loose, humusy soil mixture or make one up myself with good potting soil, some perlite, some aged cow manure, and some sphagnum peat moss and then give the bulb and soil a very good soaking of 1/2 strength fertilizer and then let it rest for a bit and then water it until water drains out of the bottom. Some time later, you can then give it another good soaking with 1/2 strength fertilizer and from then give some watering when needed. And repeat the process of fertilzing, then watering as needed, i.e. let the top few inches of the soil dry out and use your finger as a "tester". Hope this information becomes more than inspirational in your Amaryllis growing efforts. Bill

The Gubler Nurseries website doesn't give any information on their mediums, but the words "fine grade" give a small indication of what you might expect. Of the two shown, that's the one I'd choose. Once you actually open the bag and get a look at the medium, you'll be better able to gauge particle size, and whether or not you'll have to adjust it in any way for your application. Might I suggest pre-moistening the mix before using. Normally, when I prepare my version of the Gritty Mix, I add a little moisture/water to the bucket, mix well, cover it, and allow it to sit for a while so the moisture soaks into the bark particles and is evenly dispersed within the mix. I don't want it to end up sopping wet or too difficult to work with, but plant roots respond much better to being potted in a pre-moistened mix... and it also makes future waterings disperse more evenly throughout the pot of medium. I also keep my bucket of medium inside so the soil temperature is kept at room temperature, and not cold as to shock the roots of plants I'm using it to pot up. Using a medium with larger particles than the average bagged soils sold will take a bit of adjustment for the grower to get used to watering more often... but this is actually a good thing, as it allows to more closely observe your plants. You'll notice any problems sooner, such as tiny insects, any plant problems, etc... and can jump right on them before they become issues. If you like, it might be helpful to do a quick forum search for information on the Gritty Mix and the 511 Mix, so you can see photos of what they look like, and can read a bit about how growers in various areas use them. Unfortunately for us gardeners, the industry isn't, and hasn't been, very forthcoming about the fact that container growing plants is really not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. There are many variables unique to each person/grower, such as climate, micro-environment, type of plants grown, time you're able to devote, etc... If I had known 35 years ago what I know today, I'd have been so much more successful. I'd have lost a significantly smaller number of plants and bulbs to my own ignorance, and to the assumption that the gardening industry was honest and there to help me. I wish the first thing I had learned was that growing within the confines of a pot is completely different than growing in the ground, and that because of those huge differences, it's best to save the more organic methods for the garden, while employing a more inorganic approach to growing in pots. It's almost impossible to maintain the same balanced environment in a pot that Mother Nature maintains in the ground... therefore, using more inorganic and controllable methods with container culture makes it easier to maintain healthy plants... because you control the moisture, the balanced nutrition, the light amount, the location, etc. I hope some of this is helpful to you. We're always happy to answer questions to the best of our ability, so feel free to ask. Happy Gardening!

Ok, so I have recently read a few other posts where growers store dormant Amaryllis bulbs in the fridge. As far as I know, cold treatment is not necessary for Amaryllis? I thought the idea was to simulate drought not cold? Anyway, I have all my bulbs in pots that are about 1 gallon or a little larger. I feed them every time I water with 1/2 the recommend house plant mixture of all purpose Miracle Gro. Put them outside in the summer. Plan to repot them about every 3-4 years...haven't repotted yet, only have had them in larger pots for 2 years now. They are all doing better than ever! In the fall...just before frost, I stop watering and bring them all in and put them in the basement (making sure they are good and dry). This would be about the end of September - first part of October. Mid winter, after the leaves die back naturally, I cut them off and clean them up, leaving them potted. 1st of January I bring them up and drench them good (no fertilizer until the second watering)...making sure all the dry soil really gets hydrated well. Then I put them in a bright warm spot and watch them wake up. I am extremely pleased with how much the performance of my bulbs have done since I have followed this schedule. I have some bulbs that have not bloomed for several years finely blooming again and at least 2 bulbs have 2 flower scapes each (I have 6 bulbs large enough to bloom). I've never had 1 with 2 scapes. I like putting my bulbs to sleep in the fall and bringing them out after Christmas is all over. That is about the time I start thinking about gardening and bringing the bulbs up on Jan 1st gives me a bit of gardening in the winter. I expect my first flowers about the last week of Feb and expect flowers through the end of march...just in time to start some early spring gardening. So there you go, that's how I take care of my bulbs and why I like to force them into dormancy. I'll post some photos of them as they start blooming. dacora: I'd love to see photos of your new Amaryllis! You will probably need to put a stake of some kind in your pot for supporting the plant as it grows. Last year my 'White Christmas' got 37 inches tall! That was ridiculously tall in my opinion and it looks as if it is on its way to a good 3 feet again! Matthew Indiana.Matt

I use clay pots, too... I feel that the clay is much healthier because it "breathes", and excess salts are able to leach through the walls, to some extent. Drainage holes can be one or many... it really doesn't matter... perched water tables being what they are. I used to think that a layer of gravel or charcoal was necessary for good drainage... but now I know that it's actually bad to use a layer of anything, and better drainage occurs when there is only one medium layer throughout the entire pot. The problem with bulbs is that they are prone to rot from too much moisture for lengthy periods of time. Improper watering is responsible for more plant deaths than anything else... and so, if you couple a very well-draining medium with careful watering techniques, you can successfully avoid rot. Most soils decompose quite quickly, and as we water them, they compact. If we can slow down the decomp, and slow down the compaction, we can have healthy roots. The medium I use is very close to what I see sold in stores as "bonsai mix". Al's Mix is comprised of slightly larger particles than found in most mixes, and it doesn't break down very fast at all... I have found, though, that I must water a little more often, but I'm ok with that. Using Al's Mix, I top-water... when I had my bulbs planted in regular potting soil, I had to bottom-water in order to keep the moisture where the roots are situated in the pot. When I posted my initial response yesterday morning, I hadn't had enough coffee to think clearly! It's entirely feasible to grow plants using artificial lighting only... as long as you keep good air circulation flowing, have the proper type of lights, and take care when watering and feeding. Plants grown in isolation also require CO2, I believe it is... the root systems require an exchange of oxygen and CO2 in order to be healthy. That can be done artificially, too. I also think it's important to note that growing in containers is a whole different environment than growing in a garden... gardens have worms, nematodes, good and bad bacterias... and a garden ecosystem is balanced by all these things. A container environment can quickly become unbalanced because there isn't that constant "flow" of good and bad going on that creates the balance. I hope I explained that well enough... It's difficult enough to consistently grow healthy plants in containers, keeping a healthy balance of moisture and other root requirements... proper medium and proper watering can help immensely! Of course, it will always be better to grow with natural light and fresh air... but done with care, healthy bulbs can be grown successfully by artificial means.