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bigoledude

Will full sun destroy my plants?

bigoledude
17 years ago

I have been growing amaryllis for only 8 months. Up til now I have kept my 30 or so potted plants outdoors against the northern wall of my house. They have experienced very little direct sunlight. My goal is NOT to have plants that barely hang on. I want to grow my plants in an environment that will produce the healthiest, finest Hippeastrum possible.

1. If I slowly acclimate them to direct sun, would they eventually flourish in the heat of SE Louisiana summers(90-97 degrees)?

2. If not, how many hours of direct sunlight would they prefer per day?

3. How old should my SEEDLINGS be before I subject them to direct sun?

Picotee, Lady Jane, Hercules, Red Lion, Vittatum, Rosario, Apple Blossom, Orange Soveriegn. Amoretta and 5 small red doubles that were supposed to be Papilio

Comments (23)

  • houstonpat
    17 years ago

    Howdy,
    In general, bulbs easily adapt to full sun. In fact, most seem to grow better and have less problems. My folks grow them in Phoenix where they get a little more than half day full sun at about 110F. I reccommend using a slightly larger pot; going 1.5 - 2 inches on either side of the bulb and deep clay pot. Seedlings I grow in about 50% shade until they are 1" dia.

  • mariava7
    17 years ago

    Hi Bigoledude...ARIF I think would be "the MAN" to answer your questions...lol! Let's wait and see...

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    17 years ago

    Bigoledude,

    I have all mine in full sun in Jacksonville, Florida - approximately the same lattitude and humidity as your climate. They love it. Arif is in a significantly hotter environment than you and me, and he says his do fairly well until it gets well into the 100's, but hopefully he will weigh in on this thread.

    By the way, did you get the Orange Sovereign seeds I sent you a few weeks ago?

    Carol

  • tokyomafia
    17 years ago

    i currently have a collection of my winter cared bulbs in full 11 to 12 hr sun. i slowly acclimate them over the period of about 4 weeks moving them various places around the yard from inside the house to under a screen shade, to under a tree where sun pokes partially thru to sun for 5 hrs then an area of 8 hrs then finally an area that gets sun all day. in full sun, you need to make sure they have a good supply of water since they seem to respirate a lot.

  • bigoledude
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Ms. Carol

    I sure did get those seeds and planted them. My success is phenomenal considering some of the difficulties we read that others have.

    The warmth and humidity inside my currently destroyed house must be the perfect environment for Hippeastrum babies!

    You and Ms. Lora have blessed me and Dana with ya'lls generosity and kind words. It's amazing how awesome a few kind words can be now-a-days around here! I honestly hope that some day, some how, we can bless you guys right back.

    I would have emailed you but, our email is just flat non-existent for now.

  • brigarif Khan
    17 years ago

    Hello
    So it is my turn.
    I grow them in pots and in beds in semi shade and in full sun. The temp in shade can tuch 50C (122F).
    This remarkable plant can servive and still bloom.
    The heat itself does not bother it provided you do not over water it.
    The full summer sun in this heat scorches the leaves. The plants in the beds do better than those in pots (probably their root soil does not get that hot).
    In the picture below the pots on the right are exposed to 6 hours of morning full sun and those on the left are under the shade of a net. The ones exposed to sun have pale leaves and scorched leaves.

    {{gwi:408455}}

    All I can say is :Cool climate = full sun, Moderate climate, morning sun, hot climate moderate shade.
    ARIF

  • mariava7
    17 years ago

    Hey ARIF, I've been wanting to tell you this after looking at your pics of your garden and plants..."I LOVE your POTS"!!!

  • brigarif Khan
    17 years ago

    Hello
    Maria,
    Thanks.
    Further to my last post, the AMARYLLIS beds in picture below are exposed to our full sun and heat and still they put up a good show.

    {{gwi:371283}}

    ARIF

  • mariava7
    17 years ago

    Sigh......I love it...love it....love it!!!
    So Bigoledude, this is what you can do out in your garden. I'm so green with envy!

  • rcarrow143
    17 years ago

    ARIF,

    Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful pictures. I love hearing and seeing your successes in the heat. Tucson gets very warm, the warmest about 110 F not as hot as your get in pakistan.

    How often do you water these plants when the temps are that hot? I am thinking the potted plants may need more water than the ones in the ground.

    Sometimes I think I may water mine to much when it gets so hot, Its hard not to when the temps are so high.

    char

  • brigarif Khan
    17 years ago

    Hi Char
    I have demaged more plants by over watering then by under watering.

    A link that might help;-http://www.suite.com/article.cfm/18505/106146
    ARIF

  • rcarrow143
    17 years ago

    Arif,

    I tried the web site, but I am not sure what I am supposed to be looking at. Perhaps I did something wrong?

    Thanks..char

  • brigarif Khan
    17 years ago

    Hi Char
    This was an article QUALITY WATERING TECHNIQUES by KENNETH JOERGENSEN. He is also a member of this forum.Locate him ,he has written many very good articles related to gardening.
    The web page perhaps is not available now.
    ARIF

  • tokyomafia
    17 years ago

    Here's the link... Quality Watering Techniques

  • rcarrow143
    17 years ago

    Thanks, I will...char

  • haweha
    17 years ago

    I am sorry.
    From my own experience I can not confirm to
    "the faster the growing media dries, and the more often you water, the better off the plants are." (Kenneth)

    My jumbo papilio blooms are growing in 11 L containers now, and I water averagely every 4 th day - from the bottom.
    My seedlings in 50cm balkony boxes respond very well on total drenching every 4th to 7th day.
    I am somewhat concerned of all this scientific-sounding descriptions and explanations - I can not extract any practical relevance from these.

    I drench thoroughly and let the substrate dry, until the boxes have become rather light again, and
    I administer water into the soucoupe until the uptake of water becomes slower, and never so much that the substrate surface will become dark (wet), and I let the substrate dry...(see above)
    and the only quasi-scientific term I like to apply for that is "carefull cycling between wet and dry" isnt't that enough?!

    I regret that I can not answer the question above in the correct sense to be fully justified to participate in this thread, because:
    In good-old or better cold-old Germany the sun seems to have lost its vigorousity since 2003. The question is no more whether the leaves will tolerate unfiltered sunlight and instead whether it makes sense to move the plants outdoors at all - when the night temperatures fall to 13°C even in mid summer nights.

    Please do not confuse: Forcement is easily accomplished under these low temperatures (which indeed ressemble more bulb storing conditions than forcing temperatures) but afterwards the rebuilding of a good bulb is impaired, because the bulbs will very hesitantly emerge any new leaves, if the soil temperatures moving far below 20°C.

    That is a very unsatisfying situation, regardless to the actually beautifull performance of my balkony garden under the PE-foil:
    {{gwi:408456}}

  • mariava7
    17 years ago

    Oh my gosh....im speechless Hans! Very beautiful...
    Now going back to the topic...We had a couple of hot days (ave. 90F) here in VA. All of my Amaryllis are out in the yard and in pots. I monitored their watering, checking the first top inch or two of soil for dryness before watering them. I have noticed that their leaves are turning lighter green but not burnt. Is it time to move them to a more shaded part of the garden?

  • mariava7
    17 years ago

    I agree with ARIF that full sun will NOT destroy your plants as long as you are very careful with your watering. Potted plants need more watering than those planted in the ground. Potting soil and kind of pot are very imporatant factors too. Clay pots need more watering than plastic pots. Clay pots are cooler to the roots than plastic...a big PLUS during summer. Lighter potting soil like coco peat need more watering than regular potting mix which is a bit heavier. It would be very wise to observe your plants and check the soil for dryness before watering.
    With your experience ARIF, is there a difference between the plant's (shaded and unshaded) performance with regards to blooming...flower count, size and color?

  • brigarif Khan
    17 years ago

    Hello
    Hans-Werner
    WHAT A SHOW.Looks like part of paradise.The red with white margin left top under the whites,What is it ? Please submit its solo picture.
    Regarding the origional subject: One has to find the solution of his own problums.The solutions are mostly a compromise.
    I can not have a green house. I can not put a shading net (although a must) on my Amaryllis beds (un sightly in my front lawn / garden).I have 13, 22inch -64, 14inch--28, 12inch and twenty 8inch AMARYLLIS pots.It is immposible to bottom feed/water these 125 heavy pots so I am forced to compromise and water them from the top.
    Again the poting media suggested by Kenneth is not precticable in this hot and dry climate. Nor the one used by Hans, for my top watering.
    I am learning a lot from my failures and success.
    Maria
    The shade / ammount of shade depends on local climate.Excessive sun is a stress in my climate.
    ARIF

  • brigarif Khan
    17 years ago

    Hello
    Hans-Werner
    REQUEST REPEATED
    ARIF

  • lora_in
    17 years ago

    Hi Hans-Werner,
    I'm with Arif, what is that delightful red with the white edge & star throat? Lora

  • haweha
    17 years ago

    This is progeny of DonAmb (= "Donau" x "Ambiance") selfed;
    thus an F2 from the standpoint of the parents named above. The thin dark burgundy lined edges reveal the H.papilio influence due to Ambiance parentage.
    {{gwi:408457}}

  • brigarif Khan
    17 years ago

    Hans-Werner
    Thanks, it is lovely.
    ARIF

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