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sunnysideuphill

batting under .500

sunnysideuphill
9 years ago

I followed advice and put my seven amaryllis outside this summer. Cut them back in early fall and put them into garage. Brought them out a few weeks ago, repotted them, watered them, and put them in sunny window.
Red Pearl took off. 10" growth
Siren close at 8"
Apple Blossom next at 5"
But the other four - ??? three have green visible in the cropped off brown stuff but not a pointy new leaf, just cropped off green; one has nothing, but it feels firm and doesn't smell bad.
How long can it take, for some of them to decide to wake up?

Comments (6)

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

    Where do you live?
    Again, no guarantee for blooms every year, and not all are easy to force. In my greenhouse my rebloom rate is probably 50-70% for healthy bulbs. Only way to be sure you have holiday blooms is to buy new bulbs each year that have been perfectly prepped for bloom. They have it down to a science. Dig, chill, sell.

    You'll get blooms eventually. Just remember, you can't always fool Mother Nature!

    Hang in there. Your doing great at .500!
    Kristi

  • sunnysideuphill
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    i'm in southern NH, zone 5. Holiday blooms would be a plus but not critical - last year I had one of the seven at Christmas - but non stop rolling blooms from early January through early March. In a NH winter, that was worth the wait!
    This year I will be ready with the bamboo stakes, though - somehow the photos never show that you have to support them!

  • salpal
    9 years ago

    Perhaps you are rushing things a bit. I understand that "fall" begins the end of September. That means early fall was Sept, and you have had your bulbs in repose just 1.5 months, actually less as you took them out "a few weeks ago". It will probably take more time than this for them to put up scapes. You seem very excited for blooms, as we all are. Give it a little time, goodness comes to those that wait! (Yikes here as I wait for a Royal Colors order to come through the snow in Mn!)

  • jodik_gw
    9 years ago

    Nowhere is patience needed more than in the art and skill of gardening. We must have patience, allowing our bulbs to rest an appropriate amount of time before forcing them to bend to our will. I'm not sure, but I believe that 8-12 weeks is considered the average, necessary rest period. You can find that piece of information in the "Sticky" posted at the top of the forum.

    It's true... we can manipulate Mother Nature to a certain extent, but we cannot control Her.

    Normally, I treat my bulbs as I would any other houseplant... allowing them to grow, bloom, or rest based upon their own schedule, and adjusting how I care for them based upon observation of what they do. I usually enjoy blooms in spring or early summer, that being more their natural timing.

    This is the first year I'm actually forcing them to rest, due to lack of window space and natural light. I cut them all back as autumn began, and I'm hoping they'll sleep until winter is almost over. I will be observing them, though, and as they awaken I will be bringing them back into the light and resuming active care.

  • sunnysideuphill
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    And we are now 4 for 7!

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

    There ya go....and it only took a week!
    Patience....
    K

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