From Spring 2010

From Spring 2010

Last year it sent up two smaller scapes at the same time. I think I liked that better - anyone know why a bulb sometimes sends up two scapes at the same time and how to make it happen? Alana

"Clare, the idea behind saying Hippeastrum need a certain amount of leaves to flower is that the flowering buds are predetermined to develop in the leaves' axis and not any axis but the one between a "normal" leaf and a "semisharing" leaf. These leaves come up regularly after three normal leaves and are on the same side as the leaf before, normally the leaves come pairwise left and right.
So per 8 leaves you should get 2 flower stakes ...
So in order to have a bulb flower of course lots of leaves are needed, but! the flower stakes we see have been developed in an axilary bud that has been there for some time. Then in the dormant period these buds are developed into flowering scrapes and they leave the bulb once the temperatures go up.
So your bulbs will still have some of these buds that will turn into flowers but aren't old enough.

So if you want a flower now badly, you might even go with the company's advice. But if you want your bulbs to do fine in future time, (perhaps they'll flower if you put them outside when the weather's fine, they get the change of cold night temperatures and develop the buds) you'll better care for your plants the best way possible now.
I'd repot them, often the problem is too moist soil that won't dry out fast enough."


Your Apple Blossom is georgeus, I hope you'll get more scrapes in the next season. You should put her in direct sunlight, perhaps get the plant outside once the weather is better and feed regularly.

Alana