Who'd like an Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) thread?

[daisychain01]

I treated myself to 3 Amaryllis bulbs from M&S last week and reminded myself what a great addition those lovely big chunky bulbs are to the Christmas season.

It's such a positive feeling, giving them a water and watching them turning green and the leaves emerging over the weeks, when most things in the garden are going to sleep.

The bulbs I chose are:

Dancing Queen
Apple Blossom
Minerva

Lesson learned from last year - stake them up before the flowers form, as their stems aren't always strong enough to hold the multi-flower varieties upright. One of nature's design flaws! Supporting them when the stem is just emerging helps it a lot. Other than that, they are remarkably self-sufficient.

it will be lovely to see everyone's bulbs flowering as we get closer to Christmas.

Back later with my photos.

PS One of my bulbs from last Christmas started flowering in July so I put it in a pot with some new compost and a bit of vermiculite, but it was very indifferent -a few leaves but no flower. It's now sulking in the greenhouse, I think it peaked too soon!

Your Amaryllis has a nice compact form, @Glitterbiscuits I don't know why some of mine have such long stems this year!

just a recap on progress for those interested in my experiment upthread, where one of my Amaryllis bulbs was refusing to grow, for 3 weeks, no growth at all.

I soaked the roots in tepid camomile tea, replanted it in better compost and now 4 weeks later it is doing really well. I'm hoping the stem will stay quite compact 🤞

That’s a labour of love @daisychain01 !

will be lovely when it blooms.

My second stem bloomed! It's a bit leggy, but self-supporting so far :-)

Now that's a beauty @OliveHenry and it even coordinates with your decore

My Red Lion has burst forth for a second round

Definitely all this Amaryllis growing is a labour of love @Maggiethecat ❤️

I can’t wait to buy another one after seeing the pictures. Also interested to know if anyone has ever tried to grow from seed? They originate from South Africa apparently, which is probably old news to most, but just in case….

That's such good news @OliveHenry as mine is still showing no signs.

My second has opened up today, 17 days behind the first (both potted at the same time). Only two blooms on this one but there is a second flower stalk coming up as well

Such beauties on this thread! A pleasure to see.

The bulbs I potted in November are finally beginning to flower, one is a beautiful red. The other is looks as if the flower will be green 😳

After too long a time of lackadaisical care of my 4 Amaryllis and inspired by this thread, a few days ago I bought some nice terracotta pots. It was going to be a new start, I was going to repot them all. They're in a mish-mash of unattractive pots, that were difficult to water and one had no drainage holes (why sell them in those types of pot? Looking at you M&S!) . I'd bought some 'naice' potting soil and perlite. Today was going to be the day!

Just gone to get started and overnight no-drainagemcno-drainageface has shoved out a flowerbud! (another, I've just realised, has a truly massive bulb, which might not fit in the new pot).

I think I'll proceed with the other two, try the third for size and put buddy in a nursery pot with holes if I can find one the same size as his current pot then repot him after he's flowered and rested a bit.

I don't think it's the best time for repotting but they'll survive and we'll all be happier in the long term.

I'm a bit excited I can't remember the colour of buddy's flowers. I hope he's a beauty like the two pictures just upthread.

Can you buy amaryllis at any time other than Christmas? I can't recall seeing them.

You can buy bulbs online @Glitterbiscuits

I tend to buy them around November as they are more readily available in the shops. The rest of the year I'm so busy growing other things outdoors and Nov-Jan are the months I enjoy the experience of seeing new life growing indoors to get me through the winter.

Mine looks like it's a slightly bungundy colour compared to your crimson red one @tizwozliz yours is lovely!

Looking forward to when yours flowers 👍 @IcakethereforeIam

I've just looked up the varieties. The most recent one is gold medal, my earlier one was Floris Hecker. Both have got another flower shoot coming. I'm not sure I could tell them apart to be honest, both very similar colour wise but they were bargain buys and there weren't any other options.

Can I join you? Mine from last Christmas has finally got a flower bud after just being leafy for weeks. I can't actually remember what colour it is (I'd just had DS2 last time so wasn't paying much attention) but there's some red showing already!

Second flower head now out, not as tall and smaller flowers than the first.

I'm still waiting for a bud

Reporting back @daisychain01 !
Started off my first ever amaryllis on 31st of December and here it is on February 5th!
It developed 4 large beauteous blooms, but being an inept Amaryllis mum I did not take photos beyond this.
But it cheered me up enormously to watch it grow so bravely in the bleakness of January and I consider myself hooked!

Apologies, can't access that photo here...

Got it!

Buddy flowered. I'm going to try pollinating him. Picture, ignore the tatty fence.

Mine didn't flower at Christmas as expected but has made up for it this week!

I tried pollinating buddy and, for a while, I thought it had worked but after a couple of weeks the seed pod went soggy. However, two of my others flowered (one deep red and one reddish orange with a white centre). I cross pollinated them and this time got lots of ripe seeds on both plants 😀 I've been floating them and now have some with roots! I also gave some of the seeds away, there were hundreds.

Early days though.

At last I have some flowers to show :) This is Nymph and its friend is also close to flowering.

@Gremlinsateit Are you in the UK/Northern Hemisphere? Mine are just dried bulbs at the moment. I thought they normally flowered around Christmas in the Northern hemisphere. 🤔 Have you done something to bring yours on quicker?