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Re: Amaryllis
Thanks ButterflyLady29, patience is not something I am good at but will try!
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I am trying so hard to stay away from the amaryllis displays this year. When I was working I thought nothing of spending $20 or $25 on a single bulb. Sometimes I bought 2 or 3 a year. Now there is a whole storage tub in the living room full of planted bulbs and at least a dozen pots of them. Unfortunately while I was working I didn't have time to properly care for any of them. So this year I don't have spare $$$ for bulbs but I have the time to plant, water and fertilize them. I'm anxious to see which ones bloom this year. So many shrunk in size because of lack of proper care. Not really a bad thing since I sure don't have room for 60 or so grapefruit sized bulbs. But with proper care this year I should have a lovely display next year. I might even sell or give away some of the common ones so I have room for the more unusual ones.
I don't know if I can part with any of the papillon bulbs. But they do need to be separated and repotted.
I don't know if I can part with any of the papillon bulbs. But they do need to be separated and repotted.
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Short ones? Sorry, I'm not quite understanding that. When I say they shrunk I mean the bulbs got progressively smaller. Went from orange to golf ball size. Some of them aren't much larger than large marbles. Not that the flower stalks got shorter or the flowers got smaller. Once they get some good fertilizer and potting soil the bulbs should plump back up. But it may be a few years before they get large enough to bloom again. But when I get around to repotting the papillon I'll let you know. I won't send it to you in the winter but once it gets warmer we'll see what it looks like. It doesn't go through a dormant cycle like other amaryllis and needs constant care just like any other houseplant. I have another that looks very similar but I have no idea which bulb that one is. The papillon is in it's own pot. Many of the others are just scattered and mixed up in a large tub. It really is a big mess. If I can get a good picture of the conglomeration I'll post it.
I have seen the miniature amaryllis in the garden center. Oh my goodness, the temptations are so very strong! But even then, those are pretty big bulbs, at least compared to my poor neglected babies.
I have seen the miniature amaryllis in the garden center. Oh my goodness, the temptations are so very strong! But even then, those are pretty big bulbs, at least compared to my poor neglected babies.
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Sometimes they take a while to wake up. Even in the tub I've got some that are not showing any sign of growth. As long as the bulbs are still solid (not mushy when you gently squeeze them) they have the potential for growth. If they aren't growing they don't need much water so try to just keep the soil from drying out completely. Usually the slow growers are the ones that send up a flower stalk first so you don't want to give them too much water.
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Here is the two Amaryllis plants that I have, they are both new and my hubby got them from Lowe's, I am not sure which is which right now but one is a Red Lion and one is Star of Holland. The one has grown nothing but leaves as you can tell and the other one has a reddish color to its stem. Got a question, just because it grows leaves first does not mean it won't flower, right?
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I'm still trying to get hubby to put lights on the shelves. Everything is leaning quite a bit because the ones in back don't get enough light. But the nice thing about amaryllis is that they are so forgiving in that regard. As long as they get good strong light and fertilizer during the warmer months they grow and flower the next year.
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Never heard of using peroxide to kill fungus gnats. Just did a little search and some say it works, others say it doesn't. I guess it won't hurt to try it. I wonder if it will get rid of mealy bugs as well. I've had a lot of trouble with them since I brought some home on some clearanced orchids.
I was at the thrift store today and ran across an amaryllis bulb in a nice glazed ceramic pot for only 50 cents! The bulb looked dead but was firm at the bottom. When I got it home I peeled off the dry skin and found the leaves were just starting to come up. I tore a tip off one but it will recover. Now I just need to get it potted up and set under a light.
Hubby put the light on my plant rack over the weekend. So now the plants on the shelf should start standing straighter and get darker leaves.
I was at the thrift store today and ran across an amaryllis bulb in a nice glazed ceramic pot for only 50 cents! The bulb looked dead but was firm at the bottom. When I got it home I peeled off the dry skin and found the leaves were just starting to come up. I tore a tip off one but it will recover. Now I just need to get it potted up and set under a light.
Hubby put the light on my plant rack over the weekend. So now the plants on the shelf should start standing straighter and get darker leaves.
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Bad news about the peroxide, it didn't kill the aphids on my ornamental sweet potatoes and it burned the leaves on the pineapple sage and the fern mayii next to them. This was 3% peroxide diluted with water at a 3 to1 ratio. It doesn't seem to harm the amaryllis but I haven't had a chance to check the ones in the tub for mealy bugs to rate the effectiveness as an insecticide. And I still see fungus gnats flying around despite the tub and other nearby plants being dry enough to wilt.
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Are you watering them? If yes, stop. If not then don't until they show some signs of growth. I have found that getting them to come out of dormancy in the winter can sometimes be difficult. They will eventually wake up and grow but on their own terms. Remember that the ones you buy in the fall have been strictly climate controlled to ensure that they bloom in the winter. As long as the bulbs are solid they are still alive. Spring will eventually arrive and you can set the pots outside where the warmth and sunshine will wake them up.
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If the bulb is still solid just put it in more light and in a warmer spot to wake it up. Give it some bulb food and wait.
Actually amaryllis will bloom once the bulbs are large enough with or without leaves. However, if you want to force and amaryllis into bloom, just cut off the leaves and repot it if the bulb is large enough.
Actually amaryllis will bloom once the bulbs are large enough with or without leaves. However, if you want to force and amaryllis into bloom, just cut off the leaves and repot it if the bulb is large enough.
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