Hippeastrum bulbs actually prefer to be treated a bit more like succulents, and kept quite a bit drier than the tags and labels tell us. When you water, only do so when the soil is dry down to the rootball. You want to allow the soil to dry out before adding any more water. Too much moisture held in the soil for too long can cause the roots and bulbs to rot. That said, the best way to test for moisture is to stick your finger down into the soil as far as you possibly can... if you feel any moisture, don't water. If you're not quite sure that you can feel moisture, wait another couple of days before watering. It's best to err on the dry side. My personal preference is to plant the bulbs so half of them are above the soil surface. Planting them 2/3 into the soil is the recommended approach, but I like to keep an eye on the bulbs for rotting, so I plant mine a bit shallower. I stake them for balance once the leaves and scapes get tall. I also prefer a medium that's more gritty and porous, inorganic, and comprised of larger particles. I use a bonsai approach to mediums. Sharp drainage and larger soil particles help keep the soil from collapsing due to decomposition, keep the medium aerated, allow excess moisture to exit, etc... I've included a link at the bottom of my post. I highly recommend reading it so you get a better picture of what happens under the soil surface. I also recommend doing some reading over at the Container Gardening Forum... there's a wealth of great information on container growing. As Frank says, bulbs are very stressed by this time of year... they've been sitting in some store or some warehouse since fall, waiting for someone to purchase them. They have used some of their energy and moisture to remain alive, and asking them to bloom perfectly after such a long wait is not feasible. You may also have a bit of fungi going on there, though I'm not an expert... if they were my bulbs, I'd spritz them just a little with Schultz's 3in1 spray, which is a combined miticide/insecticide/fungicide. This may help any fungal problems from spreading, if that's an issue, and kill any mites, just in case any are present. At this late date, the abortion of buds can be a common occurrence... I've had it happen to me. Consider them next year's pride and joy, and treat them well over this coming summer. They can use the rest and the TLC, and they'll regain their energy for a wonderful blooming next cycle. So, remember... ease up on the watering, and let them do whatever it is they're doing... once they begin to grow leaves, you could lightly feed them with a diluted liquid. It's better to feed plants a low level of fertilizer on a more constant basis, so I go about half strength on the fertilizer every other, or every, watering... and I leach about every 5th watering or so, allowing the water to exit the drainage holes and carry all the accumulated salts away. I hope this helps... if anyone else has more information to add, please post... Here is a link that might be useful: Container Soils - Water Movement & Retention VI

Well, I am computer challenged and I was having the same problem..... someone smarter told me to click on the picture... When it eventually comes up,over on the left side there is a box that says "share this image" Scroll down to where it says HTML code and click on that address(it comes up and says "copied") then right click and copy the address put it in your message. It will show up as an address, but when you "preview message", the pictures should be there. That's all I know.....

les917, thankyou so much for your helpful reply. I will try what you suggested in regards to the re-direct issue. And I would be so greatful if you do find the time to take a peak at my thread and tell me what you think. :) golddust, lol, thank you. And I'm glad you said to get rid of the oak cabinet. ;) I like the others so much more but just needed some confirmation that getting rid of that larger one was the way to go! sheesharee, thank you! I didn't feel offended at all by any of your suggestions. I found them all very helpful actually. I can totally understand skimming through and skipping threads posted by newbies.. I'm guilty of that myself on another forum that I've been a member of for years. deeinohio, thank you. I hope you all don't think I was being a whiner.. I'm just desperate for home decoarating advice atm. We just bought our very first home (always rented) and it was/is in rough shape cosmetically. Every room needs/needed paint, flooring and fixures. We are gutting the kitchen eventually. The bathrooms are in need of updates and I'm just overwhelmed! I'm not good at home decor at all! I don't even know what my "style" is. I am scared of picking all the wrong colors and ending up with a tacky, ugly home! I found this site and thought it was so awesome how people were getting such great ideas and suggestions from each other. :) Like you all suggested.. I will just continue to post following the suggestions given and hopefully you all will become more familiar with me and feel more inclined to check out my threads. Thank you all, and sorry to complain.. although I'm kind of glad I did because I learned a few things. :)

Hi Averil, here are some Arabicum pics for you......they are of the Bouquet variety and from seeds that Rick kindly gifted to me. In the pic below it may not be that clear but the left hand plant does show branches growing in most directions but the centre and right hand plants only have arms in just one plane! The left one has 5 really bulbous branches and looks very different to the other two. Guess they don't look so leafless really but this is the best they've looked and are different to my obesums. The leaves often get damaged and grow deformed as if glued together when emerging. None have been pinched out at any time. Gill UK