Izhar! That is one beautiful leaf! Once that plant grows, you will be amazed at how much pleasure it will bring you. I have a few of these and what I like about them the most is that they take up no prime sunny space in the house or yard. I just stick them in the cellar where there is barely any light, or dark corners of the house, north facing windows where almost none of my other plants will grow, or the the yard under trees and shrubs. I just love them. I never get bugs on mine either. I can't even believe that you got one to sprout. I have tried and failed. That is a great job. Thanks for the info on the white stuff. I like your idea about keeping pH down. Very good idea. Toni: Thank you for that although they are not as pretty as Izhars! I will hold of on ordering. I saw some on e-bay from Vietnam too, and now those caught my eye. Sometimes I wonder why so many unusual plants are so hard to find here in the U.S. Hope everyone has a great day today! 82 here today again. I love it. Mike

Bulbs of the common big blooming cultivars contain at least one preformed bud and do principally NOT need any fertilizing up to the time point when the flower scape has reached full size and the blooms open. This is the reason for the ubiquitary amaryllogene advice - discovered on almost every plastic label accompanied with potted knight star lilies which tells "fertilizer usually not necessary" This is fully correct in the case that the plant will be delivered to the waste bucket afterwards - which is very common and btw fully intended by the bulb traders *lol* However, regular fertilization is absolutely necessary in order to re-establish the bulb which is so exhausted after having generated such a huge plant mass in scapes and leaves. The importance of a carefull husbandry for the plant at the windowsill to make it REbloom is generally underestimated (my opinion) With certainty it is not sufficient that the plant be keeping its leaves but for some weeks after it has bloomed - and then these leaves, while regarded as undecorative, often underdeveloped or even collapsed due to irregeular watering are cut away... The leaves should instead remain living for a timespan in the magnitude of 1/2 year and more, during which even fresh new leaves will be produced. BTW this will fill up the leaf bush and considerably enhance the performance of your knight star lily! This aim can only be achieved by regular waterings and fertilizing and nursing the plant at a windowsill which is not TOOO dark... It is wise to support the leaves, which usually tend to become very long indoors to protect them from collapsing and becoming useless for the plant. Use adhesive films for that purpose. Now, back to the start question: There are several reason why blooms remained absent in the first season, Casey. The bulb might have been stored far too long prior to forcement, and the buds have already shriveled up meanwhile, or the scape was damaged by bulb scale mites, which are seemingly an inevitable adjunct to every hippeastrum bulb (my personal experience). OR, and this happens very often, you watered to amply at the very beginning of the forcement. The compost should be watered vwery sparingly at this stage.

It's similar to sword fish... When we were first married, halibut steaks was a budget meal...easy and cheap. Don't remember what it cost, But I would stop after work and buy a couple of halibut steaks, brush the tops with worchestershire and pan fry....since they were at least an inch thick, they got nicely browned on the outside by the time they were cooked through. Oh dear....those days are gone for good! Linda C

As i said my nails didn't fall off but they were grey striped,and red spots,yet they were very strong,and i'll never figure that one out.I actually used one of my nails to screw a screw back into something that had become loose. Now that chemo is over,my nails are no longer discolored,and they grow but are very soft.I was going to try the biotin,but when i read the label it had soy in it,and i have to steer clear of soy as well,so i didn't buy it. Kat ,i hear ya,when it comes to picking things up,i told DH the other day when i went back to work years ago after having kids,i got the job i applied for because i had good finger dexterity,now i have trouble picking up the pills i have to take!!! Hope your nails come back nice and strong,and your hair too if you lost it. (((((((((((((((((KAT))))))))))))))))))))))) Kathi