Amaryllis Challenge??

[LovelyLadyLux]

Yesterday I did stroll out, not really to go and see the Boxing Day sales but just to get out of the house and poke around.

I went to one of the Building supply stores (was surprised to see a sign on their front door saying they actually opened for Boxing Day at 6am!) and wandered about.

This was the store that had the small tiny amaryllis bulbs for $5 that I saw way back when at the start of the challenge. As I was walking out I saw the display! Went over and there on Boxing day were these small tiny Amaryllis bulbs for $1.24!! I will admit to looking in a couple of the boxes. Some were still totally dormant and not moved at all whilst others had sent out the flower stalk complete with dead flower petals.

I'll admit to seriously thinking about buying one but what stopped me is that I'm going to be gone for 3 week in another month although today ...

Partly I am also wondering IF a smaller bulb might not have a better chance of surviving a summer and re-blooming which is my absolute ultimate goal. To have naturalized repeat flowering amaryllis.

I mean re: The Monster - how BIG can a bulb grow? I'd hate to see H bringing in his annual flowering amaryllis via a wheel barrow! And MD has commented that her amaryllis seem to be getting bigger as they go too although I personally think Superstar (NOW almost 40" high which IMO is getting into ridiculous territory) has lost bulb girth.

IF it hadn't started to snow I might have thought about going back to the Building supply store and buying 3 of these little guys. MAYBE tomorrow! (but maybe not)

[Horus]

Mine were actually starting to develope swollen seed pods behind the dead flowers, but I won't be going down that road, I bet it takes forever to grow one from seed

[LovelyLadyLux]

I think (but might be wrong) MD is thinking of starting some from seed. I'm not at all. I'll be happy to try and keep these going so they can flower next year OR the next year but am not going to try at all to get them going from seed. Will leave that for the big commercial growers of Holland.

Actually IMO Superstar isn't a good plant. It is now just a hair under 40" which is too tall. I've got lots of windows so it leaning to the light isn't a big issue but in lots of places in winter getting sufficient light IS an issue and so I can see these toppling over easily.

Minerva is a much more modest size. She also has 3 leaves while Superstar has none.

[Horus]

Certainly the best one of mine was The Monster (Christmas Star) it stopped growing at a nice height after developing some central leaves that stayed rigidly upright and two outer flower spikes. It was fully open by around December 11th and has now just about finished, so it was in full bloom for about 2 weeks and it has never chased the light unlike the others even though it is in the same position as they are. Interestingly enough the ‘Tres Chic’ one which also had two flower stems and up to date no leaves, is now throwing up another flower spike after the other two have almost finished flowering.

[LovelyLadyLux]

That IMO is quite unusual that an amaryllis will throw up 3 flower spikes. In my years of growing them 2 have been relatively normal but occasionally I've had 1. Sometimes no leaves 'til after flowers, sometimes leaves before flowers.

My Superstar is growing too high IMO although it, for sure, is NOT chasing the light. It is now starting to open so am hoping in a day or two I'll be getting blooms.

Minerva (and I'll take a photo soon) actually has each flower spike starting to lean in a different direction! It is like the bloom stalks are "Y" ing. I've turned the pot to try and bring the tallest back towards the light but ? Just a curious way to grow however it sure isn't overly tall at all.

[LovelyLadyLux]

This is Superstar



And this is Minerva who seems to have two flower stalks with minds of their own!



This is the big Christmas Cactus I bought at the Lumber store. Big for here in that it is 3 plants, granted in a hanging basket but I'm going to transplant it into another pot. It might be 3 different colour plants however the few buds that are still on this one are red which is ok. I quite like these guys as they live well here, are hardy as all get out and do well when I'm not around to water (vs the fern that is probably not going to make it when I'm not here)



I deep-sixed the poinsettia out of the mixed floral arrangement I won as the door prize at the Garden Club today and now have a much better shot of the variegated tropical that was in it that I've never seen before. The leaves are quite thin and ? dry. If I squished a leaf there wouldn't be much liquid in it. I know H you couldn't really see it before but now that even I am seeing it better I do think MD nailed it.





Still have to get me down to the garden shed to grab the bag of tropical plant potting soil so I can separate these guys and get them going in their own pots and the weather sure isn't conducive to outside wanderings today but will probably deke out in a bit and grab a few smaller pots and soil.

[Horus]

Yes I agree, now you have the clearer picture it is not the shrub I was thinking it was.

[Mad Dilys]

That IMO is quite unusual that an amaryllis will throw up 3 flower spikes. In my years of growing them 2 have been relatively normal but occasionally I've had 1. Sometimes no leaves 'til after flowers, sometimes leaves before flowers.

My Superstar is growing too high IMO although it, for sure, is NOT chasing the light. It is now starting to open so am hoping in a day or two I'll be getting blooms.

Minerva (and I'll take a photo soon) actually has each flower spike starting to lean in a different direction! It is like the bloom stalks are "Y" ing. I've turned the pot to try and bring the tallest back towards the light but ? Just a curious way to grow however it sure isn't overly tall at all.

I have a Red Lion giving me a V sign but with no leaves at all. Minerva must be nearly 2 inches tall!

Monte Carlo has one bloom still open, but in the last week the second bud which didn't reach the bottom of the petals of the first flower has zoomed past it and the flowers are opeing already.

[Grandad]

I won't be outdone but this is the state of Red Lion



I think it has decided to be an Easter bloomer.....

[LovelyLadyLux]

I wonder IF the growing houses in the Netherlands had some sort of adverse conditions with some of the bulbs this past year? All these bulbs have been prepared so am wondering if something has affected that

I've grown amaryllis for years and mostly I get them home and within weeks they're growing fast and blooming in short order for Christmas. Neither of mine have produced for Christmas although Superstar has grown fast and will be blooming for the New Year. Minerava is coming along but I'll be lucky to see her finish blooming by the time I'm gone.

@Grandad - yours definitely is SUPER slow. Guess you did get the Easter version.

[Horus]

Well judging by all our different flowering and growing speeds there does seem a huge variation in them.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I usually like growing them so usually will pick one up early in the season and get it started so mostly mine are flowering for Christmas.

I'm a bit baffled by Grandads as usually these bulbs are pre-programmed to grow fast soon as they see the light of day and get a drip of water thrown on them. I'm even seeing some in the stores now that didn't sell and they're poking flowers out of closed boxes! Find it interesting that his is so extremely slow. If they were frozen in transit he'd have a blob of mush but instead he has extremely slow progress - just makes ya wonder.

[Horus]

Its just Grandads 'Kiss of Death' on any living plant

[LovelyLadyLux]

Well Grandad definitely puckered up and laid a good one on his amaryllis this year.

Even the duds flower IN their packing boxes - no light, no water, no soil, not even straight up growth and they flower.

This one = nada soooo how Grandads can sit there after being planted in a pot in soil & watered, warmed in a warming closet and I can surmise talked to (maybe not too nicely lately) not grown is beyond me. I'd of guessed that after watching the homicide and unceremonious disposal of it's counterpart body this one would have given some serious thought & consideration to getting a move on and flowering. On the other hand maybe it knows it is sitting on Death Row and is too scared to move!

[Mad Dilys]

Take comfort Grandad, my speedy first bulb is opening it's second stem of flowers, but my Minerva is a twin for your bulb.

Red lion #1 is opening it's scarlet bud, Apple Blossom next to it is showing pink and Red Lion #2 has two strong stems with buds, all sitting in a row ......Minerva? Hardly moved!

[Horus]

I have had to remove a stem that had already flowered and then finished because a third bud was growing between the original two and it was being crowded out, so I cut the redundant stem off at the base to make more room. At first it dripped clear sap at the cut, but this morning it has dried up so does not seem to have harmed it in any way.

[Mad Dilys]

My Monte Carlo has just crashed to the ground breaking off the opening new flower head, which was a good foot above the first one.

C'est la vie.

[Horus]

Oh dear! did you knock the pot over?

[Mad Dilys]

Nope! I was sitting 4 ft away and alone in the room.

The pot was heavily weighted with gravel, and I used water retaining granules in the compost, so pretty heavy base. Just a very tall plant with a big flower head, which started to bend in the middle of the stems.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Geez MD first the plant pot falls over across the room and then you get a phone call from a deceased person - I think there is a MESSAGE trying to get to you!