When last seen back in October, my old amaryllis bulbs were headed into the refrigerator for
three months of dark and chilly hibernation. Yesterday, I pulled them out. Absolutely no signs of rot and decay! Applying that copper fungicide seems to have worked. You might question the logic of storing bags of chemically-treated bulbs next to organic celery and free range eggs--but in an "I hate to cook" way, it definitely makes sense to me! That's what cognitive dissonance is there for, anyways.
I planted the bulbs in their pots, watered well, and set them in a south-facing window over a warm radiator.
Hoping for some good ju-ju (and more success than last year), I tucked the baby "Minerva" bulb into a little pot given to me many Mother's Days ago (back when I had black eyes and wore blue lipstick) by one of my own off-spring.
Meanwhile, this new amaryllis "Temptation" is kicking off the amaryllis season just right--over the top!
5 comments:
Advice please! Have left the amaryllis in their pots while the tops die off - haven't watered them at all - can't put them in fridge with chemicals on + no room in there. We have a bone-dry, very cold, windowless walk-in closet where we keep the coats,gardening equipment etc: would that do once the last of the foiliage has gone? Do I take them out of the pots?
Here's what I'm thinking: those plants need to first go through a period of bulb revitalization before they go into dormancy. I keep mine on a south-facing window sill from the end of their bloom in February or March until mid-October. I soak (rather than top water) the pots every week or so, just like a houseplant. If I remember, I put them outside in June and fertilize every couple of weeks. Hopefully, the bulbs will sprout green leaves during that period. Then, in October, I take them out of the pots, cut off the leaves, and clean up roots prior to storage in the refrigerator, I think that the temperature just has to be 40-50 degrees fahrenheit--5-10 degrees celsius, I think. Does your closet get that cold? I would put mine in the attic or garage, but I think that the temperate goes well below there during our New England winters. Keep me posted!
Someday I am going to get straight how to bring amaryllis back into bloom. I've read so much about this this winter that I think I might have the system down, but I didn't buy an amaryllis this year. I hope I can remember till next year. Your is so beautiful!
Thanks! If I can do this (with some success), the more talented gardeners out there definitely can!
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Here is what the Kreativ Blogger Award asks you to do. If you can’t do all of it, don’t worry; the award is still yours!
1. Copy the creative blogger logo from my blog onto a post in your blog.
2. Link to me in that post.
3. Mention seven things about you and/or your blog that might be of interest.
4. Mention (and link to) seven other blogs you like.
One of the things I especially like about blogging is the friendly and helpful community which is what these awards are all about.
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