Sue, are your fingers down to nubs after all those bulbs you had to plant? No, but the side of my left hand and one finger looks pretty bad. I am planting all these in the front yard woods, which means clearing off fallen limbs and the stick and leaf debris before stringing out the rows. I was also trimming up little trees so as to not get poked in an eye, (or ear like happened earlier this year) by little low hanging limbs. The pruning saw slipped and caught my left hand. I bled like a stuck hog, but kept at it. (The bleeding didn't last long) I'll not be using the saw any more without wearing some good gloves. Who would have guessed that planting a lot of bulbs in a wooded setting would be such a chore? Not me, or I would not have procrastinated so long. In some areas I have had to clear out vines on the ground. Honeysuckle, Virginia Creeper, Poison Ivy? YIKES! I 'can' say though that the soil looks really good compared to the more clay like soil in the yard, veggie garden, and flower beds. Oh, my favorite is a Peanut Buster Parfait with EXTRA Hot Fudge. Yum! Sue

Hi Caleb, I have 3 different Amaryllis 'babies' that I planted this June and are about 2" to 3" tall. Colors: Unknown Red - very dark Peppermint - Red & White Apple Blossom - Pink & White As they are Babies it will be 2 to 4 years before they are big enough to produce blooms. How many Tulips is in your trade? If you are interest please let me know. Please email me direct so that I don't miss your post. Thank you, Marie

As Cindee would say... I'm happy to help corrupt you into an Amaryllis Addict! Even though I treat my bulbs as houseplants, I've been doing a lot of research lately on the best ways to put my bulbs through a rest period or dormancy. Here is what the University of Minnesota Extension says about Amaryllis culture: "The amaryllis is a tender bulb that will bloom without special treatment when first purchased. It should be potted up in light, rich soil in a pot that is only 12 inches larger in diameter than the bulb. The upper half of the bulb should be exposed above the soil. After watering thoroughly, allow the soil to become quite dry. Water more frequently after the flower stalk appears, but never water when the soil is already moist. Put the plant in a warm, sunny spot until the flower buds show color, then move it out of direct sunlight. After blooming, cut off the flowers to prevent seed formation. The foliage should be handled as if it were a sun loving houseplant. Place it in the brightest possible location indoors until it is warm enough to sink the pot in soil outdoors where it will receive dappled sunlight at first. Gradually move it to a brighter location where eventually it has full sun for at least five or six hours daily. Fertilize with a balanced houseplant food at regular intervals to build up the nutrients needed for blooming the following year. Amaryllis should be brought indoors before the first frost in the fall. Traditionally, the bulb is then given a resting period by placing it in a dark location, withholding all water and allowing the leaves to dry. The bulb may be forced into bloom again after resting eight weeks, or even less, should new growth appear spontaneously. If necessary, repot in a slightly larger container. If the pot is still large enough, remove the upper 2 inches of soil and topdress with fresh potting soil. This completes the cycle, which may be repeated annually for many years of lovely blossoms. Amaryllis also can be kept growing actively year-round without the traditional rest and subsequent forcing. When handled this way, however, the bulbs probably will not bloom until spring. They still require annual repotting or topdressing along with adequate light and fertilizer to ensure repeated bloom. Often small plantlets will develop beside a well-grown amaryllis. These may be separated gently from the large bulb and repotted, or they may be left attached and allowed to grow to full size along with the original bulb. You could end up with a large pot containing several amaryllis, all blooming at once . . . a spectacular sight! With a little care and effort, you can have a steady supply of bulb flowers from late January to April. Forcing bulbs into flowering can be a great pleasure and challenge for anyone who is interested in flowering plants." Mine tend to bloom right around the beginning of February, and that is without a forced dormancy. I keep mine in pots in an east window all year round. Be sure to bring your bulb indoors before frost occurs in your area! I hope the above information is helpful to you... if you would like to know more, keep reading this forum... there are many well-informed gardeners here, all very nice, helpful people! You could also "google" Amaryllis/Hippeastrum Culture, and see what comes up... the internet is loaded with information! There is also a bit of misinformation floating about, so be sure to take it all with a grain of salt and a lot of common sense! Ask questions! "Knowledge breeds success!"

Maria, I wonder why your amaryllis are suffering from mites? I have never had this problem, and I really haven't done anything special to prevent it, but I must confess that I have never seen a mite. I did have a problem with the caterpillar of Spanish Moth this past season, so I must prepare for that next year. These are a terror! I lost a few bulbs to these critters! If your amaryllis came from a HD in Tampa, I can assure you that mine, most likely, come from the same supplier. Ours seem to be the same as Florida... So, something is different, somewhere along the line, but I simply do not know what it could be unless it is the local store. Our HD did not have much of a selection this year, so I was disappointed. Maybe next year!