Our Lowes got 'em 2 weeks ago. I spent half an hour opening boxes and looking for a bulb that had some roots, didn't have it's basal plate sliced off and had a least some semblence of life! I gave up before I was ejected from the store....lol. I went home and called Scheepers and just added MORE to my upcoming order . My Hadeco bulbs came almost 2 weeks ago and they are exploding with scapes and new foliage. Damn CHAD got me bad this year ;-)

Jim

We had a HUGE discussion about the slicing of basal plates just before last Christmas. If you search for Bloommaker or hurricane (they were in hurricane glass vases) you might find it. Turns out, as bad as I thought it was, many people slice off nearly all the plate to encourage growth. Wouldn't be my preferred method, but there are so many ways to do things...just another (drastic) way!

Look for the thread.
Kristi

I got one of each. I only went through a couple of boxes before picking out some nice fat healthy bulbs.
Seems like they were about 1/2 and 1/2 last year, 1/2 were what they were supposed to be.
Tally HO!

I wish they'd get the more exotic ones, is there not a big box store that sells Cybister or Papilio hybrids?

You know, for a person who claims not to like hybrids I've bought my fair share this year and it's only just the beginning :) I still love my species but I really like the hybrids as well! I have a list of them I'm looking for!

I've bought *so far* :

Chico *which is really species*
Belissmo
Exotic Star
Fanfare
Germa
Graffiti

Good for you Josh, It's was just a matter of time before you got hooked, won't be long and you won't be able to stop yourself........I think you'd also like Fairy Tale and Giraffe as well and...how about an Emerald, I had a really really red one last year..........and the next thing you know you'll be buying a Minerva at the box stores.........

Donna

If anyone wants Bellisimo, Fanfare, or Baby Doll, I can let them got for $4 each+shipping!
Kristi

Donna,

ACTUALLY, those three are on my list!

I think I want to work with some of my species and hopefully work out some great hybrids :) I have a few mixes in my head right now. Hippeastrum traubii forma doraniae x reticulatum *with and without the white stripe* and I want to back cross the ones with the white midrib to hopefully create some clarity.

I want to work in creating exotic hybrids, similiar to "Shacoba" or "Thai Thai". I've finally got my hands on the beautiful H. pardinum and I think it would make some wonderful crosses with H. reticulatum and H. mandonii.

SO many ideas :)

Josh

A couple of years ago Walmart had bagged bulbs hanging on an end counter at Christmas, they had Exotic Star and 4 or 5 others. I forget what all now, and they were less than $6!! I haven't seen any since and they all came true to picture, which was even more surprising.
Tally HO!

I think you were replying to me Josh, not Donna (we think alike, but aren't the same person!)! I bought 100 bulbs and they have been stored in my refrigerator. I have about 15 of each for sale, and they are going fast.

Email me off list if you are interested.

Kristi

I was 1 of those Newbies who rescued about 4 of the hurricane glass bulbs off the clearance rack. Thankfully I was able to get great info here and potted those beauties up before they rotted. This year Susan and Star of Holland followed me home after I went three boxes deep to get a decent looking bulb. I didn't feel funny at all.
So what do you do with the potting stuff it comes with?
(another) Kristi

I just got an Oskar today! I love the dark red throat in the picture - we'll see how it looks in person. I got 2 $1.50 bagged Minervas last year in Wal Mart, and though they didn't bloom that year, they did this spring and they were great!

Alana

Who or what is Oskar?

Well, Oskar the Hippi bulb in Lowes, is a pretty red with a dark red throat. In fact, the pic makes the throat look almost black, but I'm sure that's not going to be the case in real life. Want one DR?

Alana

Went to Lowe's for birdseed today and they had put their bulbs out... what a selection, I've never seen so many varieties in a box store.

Lady Jane..Roma..Oskar..Prinz Carnaval..Susan..Christmas Story..Vera..Aphrodite..Donau..Star of Holland..Pasadena..Denver and of course Red Lion..Minerva..Apple Blossom..and I may have forgotten a couple. That's one heck of a selection from a store like that...I opened a few and they looked great, some were in those boxes that you have to destroy to look inside, but a lot of them were easily accessible. I open one Oskar and it was so big it looked like a softball with a long neck like Papilio (maybe it was mislabeled)?? Anyway, one Oskar came home with me. All the others I had, except the whites and I wasn't sure how tall they were, I'm not really fond of the overly tall white ones, I like them shorter....not fussy am I....

Donna

They all came from Brazil and they had all sorts of contact information on them if there should be any problem, they could be contacted easily..let's hope they all find good homes and are all healthy!!

I'm jealous! Our Lowes got in more-same as the boxes but in ceramic pots for 9.98. So Oskar, Christmas something, Star of Holland, Red Lion, Minerva and Susan. I'll keep looking. Wally world didn't have any yet.
Tally HO!

I was really impressed with our Lowe's...

I've heard Wal*Mart carries some of the more exotic ones? Does anyone know anything about that?

Josh

Well Josh,
Sometimes Wal-Mart has some great bulbs, especially a few years back, and I missed them all. Last year they had Gilmar and some others that were already planted and they were all diseased. All red blotches, the stems were rotting on some of them. Not all the stores had these particular bulbs. Where we live, there are 3 or 4 WalMart in our striking distance and only one store had these potted up bulbs. The rest had the boxed kind and I'm sure those were healthier... some even took pictures of them. It was very sad. We do tend to get emotional over mistreated bulbs, just look up the thread on the sawed off basal plates from last year.... But keep your eyes open, they may have better varieties this year and healthier too. I haven't seen any yet, as the potted up ones came in closer to the holidays. I can't imagine that any store will beat Lowe's though this year....Home Depot did have some great looking Minervas in plastic bags full of holds, but I already have two. So far from what I've seen, the bulbs seem to be looking a whole lot better this year than last..but it's early. And of course the mislabels are a whole other issue, but I guess we can all live with a little of that....

Donna

The Walmart here and the one on 646 had the pre-potted bulbs last year but the ones here looked great, I bought some and then got a bunch more on clearance. All are doing well now and no signs of disease.
A few years ago they had the more exotic ones hanging on an end cap. They were packaged in a tube type box that the bulbs dropped out of.
You just have to check with the stores in your area frequently. Doesn't help to ask them cause they never know it seems.
Tally HO!

The Lowes here also has the small boxes containing just the bulb for $3.98. Bulbs appear to be the same size as the ones in the boxes containing the cheap pot and crappy "soil".

Yep, That's how the Oskar came. Potted mine up a couple of weeks ago and it's already got a scape up about 5" but we don't know for sure whether it's red Oskar until it blooms, maybe it's Susan!

My "Oskar" has sent up foliage but no scape yet :(

Heads up, the Lowe's by me got new displays last week.
$3.98 for bulb only-Desire, Oskar, Star of Holland,Susan Apple Blossom and another one
$9.98 kits-either a lined box with lid or a ceramic square pot-aphrodite, Danau, Lady jane, Apple Blossom, Denver, Pasadena, prince Carnival, Vera
The Texas City lowe's had sold out all of the $3.98 bulbs except a couple, the Lowe's on 646 had not taken the shrink wrap off the display yet. Bulbs about the same size in all boxes.
Same company as last year, should be interesting to see what grows.
Tally HO!

Here is my Oskar, it is a red miniature with white markings.

{{gwi:432140}}

Here is my Not Susan, a fantastic surprise!
{{gwi:432141}}

AJ

OOOOOO! I hope my not Susan and not Oskar are as lovely.
Tally HO!

I did give my Oskar to my father, his eyes aren't that good, he'll never see the white...Sure hope my Susan is like all of yours......!

Well I think my "Star of Holland" isn't. It's too bad because it's a large healthy bulb with 2 baby bulbs. It has 4 beautiful flowers. I'd take a picture of it for you to ID but you'd only tell me it's.......

APPLE BLOSSOM!!!!!!!
"sigh"

My "Star Of Holland" "Oskar" and "Susan" are all sending up scapes, hopefully the mislabled will be a pleasant surprise! I already bought a very large "Apple Blossom" from Wal*Mart and it has quite a scape on it :) "Exotic Star" is starting to open as we speak! PICTURES SOON!!! * I love hybrids and taking pictures :) it is so much fun to share them with everyone!*

Looking forward to seeing your Exotic Star, I bought one last year as a local nursery as Misty, not a bad mistake, and it gave me 3 stalks with 4 flowers each for a total of 12 flowers, I couldn't believe it and it never even shriveled!! Just today I finally took it out of it pot and it looks good, but I don't ever expect 12 flowers this year. It's going to need a few months rest now, probably in early Feb mine will bloom. Sure hope that one isn't a mislabel for you...

Donna

((((KRISTY))))Coffeemom-hey girlfriend...lemme see pics. No shame in Apple Blossom, I love them! So you taking more interest in Amaryllis, finally? Pics, we want Pics!!!!

Our box stores have Crappy Amaryllis this year. The bulbs even look like CRAP. Last couple of years our Super Walmart has had the more desirable ones, however, they have CRAP this year too...maybe too early still.