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nopets

Happy New Year gift

nopets
11 years ago

I woke up this morning and this is what I saw, what a way to start the new year! I hope to show you pictures when the other scape blooms, until then we have these and the two others on this scape to admire, they are beautiful, I can see how people can get OBESSED with them. LOL! 67 posts of green scapes may have been a little crazy. But thank you for sticking by me and giving me the courage not to post when there was nothing to post about. But these beatuies make it all worth while.

Comments (38)

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    CONGRATULATIONS!!! You can hand out your cigars now.... ;-)

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    11 years ago

    Can we get a front shot, please?
    K

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Here is what you asked for, enjoy!

  • lenanen
    11 years ago

    It is truly beautiful, thank you for sharing.
    Happy New Year, Nopets.

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Here is a picture of all the blooms and the ones that are blooming now, the second scape is popping out the buds pretty fast, can you tell me a better way to stake these plants?

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Here are all 4 of the blooms on the first scape, the second scape aint doing to shabby either, hopefully I will have all 8 blooms at the same time, won't that be a sight to see?

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    11 years ago

    Home Depot (and probably Lowes) sell a long skinny metal stake with an open loop at the end that is perfect for Hippestrum scapes. They cost less than a dollar each.
    K

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    When do the stores stop selling the Amaryllis? I would like to get the South African one called Merry Christmas, do I have to wait until next November?

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    11 years ago

    You may find a few that have already bloomed out of the boxes. Since I don't work for a big box store, nor do I routinely shop there for bulbs, I can't tell you when they stop. If there is a WM near you, check out the garden amaryllis sold in bags. They are typically available through the spring time.

    If you are specifically waiting for H. Merry Christmas, chances are you will need to order it from a distributor in July-Aug for Oct delivery. There may be some late season sales. Look around the sites that I had posted on the other sales thread to see if anyone still has it available. I wouldn't recommend anything shipping til April due to the risk of frozen bulbs.

    Are you hooked?
    K

  • HU-17497
    11 years ago

    It sounds like CHAD has hold

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    YEP!!! Definitley hooked good and proper!

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Do I cut the blooms off that are starting to droop and wilt? I touched one of the spent blooms and the red came off on my hand, should I cut the bloom off, if so where and how.

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    11 years ago

    I cut mine off where the red meets the green, where the bloom meets the green that would become a seed pod.

    K

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    These are the Amaryllis that I have started to cut the spent blooms off, the real reason that I did not let them fall off on their own is the red on the petals come off on my fingers and I was afraid it would get on our clothes. I have a very sharp pair of small Fiskers scissors and they just snip those blooms off with no problem. This picture is of the second scape with its flowers, they have not started to wilt yet, so I thought I would let you see how they turned out, beautiful don't you think?

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Nopets, I am really surprised that you haven't tried to set seeds on your Red Lion..that would keep you busy and you'd have lots and lots of red flowers in the future!!
    Donna

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Donna, that would be a good idea but there are two things wrong with that idea, first I have not got a lot of space and second and most important, I don't have that much patience. I drove the people here crazy with 67 posts of green scapes, can you imagine how nuts I would be with seeds? These people would call the people with the white coats that make you hug yourself and say that I was mental.LOL! I will just do what I am supposed to to keep this bulb alive so it will bloom next year and try to find a merry x-mas one at Wal-Mart.

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Nopets, Don't be too hard on yourself, we all had to start somewhere and many of us didn't know much more than you did! I'm sure in the beginning I asked some what would be considered now "dumb" question too. You could allow yourself just one seedpod to fool around with, but maybe you've promised your hubby that this would be it for a while, we understand... as he'd be the one to call the Men in the White Coats now wouldn't he...

    Donna

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    The flowers are gone so I cut the stems and you guys were right, there was a LOT of water in there and also it looked strange being hollow and all. I took a picture and wanted to ask if it was ok to put it back in the window, that is the brightest place unless I put it under the fluorescent light, which do you think would do better?

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    The flowers are gone so I cut the stems and you guys were right, there was a LOT of water in there and also it looked strange being hollow and all. I took a picture and wanted to ask if it was ok to put it back in the window, that is the brightest place unless I put it under the fluorescent light, which do you think would do better?

    {{!gwi}}

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Nopets,


    What is that white thing on the middle leaf!?!?!??

    If it were mine, I'd put it in the brightest window you have and later in the year if the sun comes around to any of your windows put it there..and outside when the winter is over...Donna

    And by the way, don't you like pets???

    And by the way, now that it's too late, you should have allowed the stalks to turn brown on their own as the energy would have gone back into the bulb (so they all say), no harm done though we all cut stalks off now and then..

  • nopets
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    The only reason that I picked that name is number one I don't have any and the second I was having a hard time trying to come up with a name that was not already taken, it is so hard for me to remember the various names that I have for my plant pages. I would have rather used my name Martha but they would not let me use that. As to cutting the stalks off, I will know better next time.

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    11 years ago

    Martha,
    Hope it's not a bug!!
    K

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Martha, All you had to do is add some numbers after your name...to differentiate it from all the other Marthas out there including "Thee Martha" now we know your name, it's better than Nopets, as we all have pets around here...Donna

  • marty48
    11 years ago

    I did not mean to say anything bad about pets, I just had to come up with a name and that popped in my head, as you can see I did come up with a better name, thanks Donna. The white thing on the leaf was just a piece of lint so it was not a bug. So it won't be too cold in the windowsill? I can take it out at night.

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Martha,

    I'm in zone 6b and it appears you're in zone 6, close enough. I leave my bulbs in windows all over the house. Of course some have storm windows and the rest have just glass. I do this every year and they are always just fine. Now of course if we should get temps that go down close to zero and stay there maybe I would move a few of them but only in extreme prolong cold. If you don't have icicles on the INSIDE of your windows, I wouldn't worry..Donna

  • marty48
    11 years ago

    I appreciate all your advice Donna, I will leave them in the window then, we have a storm window on the only one that I can fit any pot in. When I put it in dormancy, does it have to have air around it, I can't put it in a paper bag and close it up? Should I just put it in a pot with no potting soil and put the pot sideways to rest for a couple of months without watering and see what it does?

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Martha,

    Your bulb will have to grow it green leaves to nourish the bulb until late Summer or early Fall of 2013. Don't worry about dormancy at this time..way to early. Just ask again next Fall as most likely you won't remember if we go over it all now anyway... (no offense intended, just much too far in the future to worry about it now) We'll all be here for you next fall (hopefully) :-)...Donna

    Just remember, once the leaves start growing in earnest, you should start fertilizing. (that would probably be now.) A weak mixture of liquid miracle grow each time you water should be fine for now. When your plant goes out for the summer in several months, ask again about fertilizing!

  • marty48
    11 years ago

    Thank you Donna, i was hoping we would not have to worry about dormancy, I have the Miracle Gro and i can mix it with water of course, but how much water and how much MG? The measuring spoons I have are two sizes, one is large and the other is small. What I usually do is take the small one and fill it level and put it in a gallon jug of water. Would that be too much? I could just put a little in the pot where the Amaryllis is. I don't know if this means anything, but its going to have a LOT of leaves! Does that bode well for healthy blooms next Christmas?

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    Lots of leaves does bode well for the next season's bloom and don't be dismayed if in several months or more one or more leaves turn yellow and die, this is normal as the bulb will then continue to put up new leaves.

    As to how much miracle grow to use, I have to admit that I just go my the color of the water as I mix a bit each time I use it. I would use the small end of the spoon (for 1 gallon) and then take 1/3 or so out of the spoon because I would think that in the beginning less is better than more. Too much fertilizer can burn the roots and as the bulb has most likely not filled the pot with roots yet and the leaves have just started so I would err on the side of weaker fertilizer for now...Donna

    This is just my opinion and what I do..so, anyone else who'd like to jump in with advice please do so....

  • marty48
    11 years ago

    I just put a little in this bottle, I figured the lighter the blue, the weaker it is. So I took the Amaryllis and put some in the botton bowl and it just sucked it up, I did not put too much in it so I hope I did the right thing.

  • marty48
    11 years ago

    I just put a little in this bottle, I figured the lighter the blue, the weaker it is. So I took the Amaryllis and put some in the botton bowl and it just sucked it up, I did not put too much in it so I hope I did the right thing.

    {{!gwi}}

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    I'd fill that bottle half again with water again to make it even lighter. Looks too strong for a new bulb just establishing itself. Don't worry though just water it the next few times with plain water and then go back to the weaker solution, Only when the plant is outside in the summer sun would I use that strength. Just let it dry out and use the plain water it will be just fine....Donna

  • marty48
    11 years ago

    Thank you Donna. I poured out some of it and added water, now it looks barely blue. I will let it dry out before I water it again, one of the leaves looked a little yellow, but you said that was normal, so I will take your advice.

  • marty48
    11 years ago

    Thank you Donna. I poured out some of it and added water, now it looks barely blue. I will let it dry out before I water it again, one of the leaves looked a little yellow, but you said that was normal, so I will take your advice.

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    11 years ago

    Martha.... Once you hit submit, give the computer a few seconds to take your message. You can look at the email address line to see if it is processing your message (mine shows a blue shading that moves across the address as the message is being processed). A little wait will eliminate these duplicate messages.
    K

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    11 years ago

    No Martha, they shouldn't be turning yellow now, much later after they have grown for months!! Don't over water and don't over fertilize! You're actually better off neglecting your plant rather than overdoing it..put it in your brighest window and forget about it. Check it for dryness once a week (if you're using a plastic pot it takes longer to dry out)(and if using plastic I assume it's got drainage holes)...Donna

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    11 years ago

    Martha,
    Eden's Blooms still has H. Merry Christmas!
    K

  • marty48
    11 years ago

    Is this something I should be worried about? I just noticed it this morning, it was looking dry so I gave it some water. There are also spots on some of the other leaves as well.

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