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Sep 26, 2014 7:02 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
My Christmas amaryllis bulbs have been outside in the pot getting nourished, I hope. Do I remember correctly, I am to place them in the fridge now for 2 months so have them bloom at Christmas again?
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Sep 26, 2014 7:10 PM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
Adeniums Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: California Houseplants Plays in the sandbox
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As I understand it, these bulbs do not need the cold treatment like the tulips..just some time off from light & watering, for it to rest.
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Oct 2, 2014 5:19 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
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Cheryl, let the bulbs dry out, when the leaves turn yellow cut them off about an inch or two at the bulb neck, then store in a cool dark basement, or a closet for about 8 weeks. Good luck with those. Smiling
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Oct 3, 2014 3:01 PM CST
Name: Fiat
Modesto -The Central Valley of (Zone 9b)
Hi Cheryl, I am very interested to know about re-blooming your A bulb for the holiday. I will be receiving two A bulbs (Samba and Blossom Peacock) in this late October and hoping to force them bloom at Christmas. Now I am wondering if you can share your growing experience: Did you receive your bulb last year about this time or when? Did it bloom last year at Christmas? The bloom last for how long? I assume you grow it in pot and after last bloom you placed it outside for growing in summer?

Now according to Margaret's suggestion, you put it to re-build for 8 wks and after that it would still need about 6-8 weeks to re-grow and bloom. That will be in spring, not holidays?

Like you I would love to have my A's re-bloom next year at the same time of this year (I wish mine would bloom at Christmas this year). So maybe I can learn it from your experience. Appreciate your sharing.
If a plant looks good, smells good, don't eat it, grow it!
Fiat
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Oct 3, 2014 4:00 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
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Fiat, if you purchased your bulbs they will bloom around Christmas or a little later. It is the second year that there can be a problem getting them to bloom.

Here is an article that I wrote, perhaps it will help. http://garden.org/ideas/view/m...
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Oct 3, 2014 8:18 PM CST
Name: Fiat
Modesto -The Central Valley of (Zone 9b)
Thanks, Margaret. I read your article on re-bloom Am's. It's very similar to other articles I have read except some details in re-building the bulbs. Even in your zone 3a, it seems to miss the ideal " re-bloom at Christmas" timeline the same case to most, if not all, Am's growers. I wonder if you can buy a bulb in Oct and force it bloom at (or close to) Christmas, why it's so hard to have it bloom again at next year's Christmas? Isn't the bulb you buy has been grown and re-built b4 it's on sale? If so, why can't we repeat the same process and make it re-bloom at next Christmas? Just curious. By the way, are there many growers first time got their bulbs and be able to force blooming at Christmas? Does it depend on which variety? Sorry for lot of questions.
If a plant looks good, smells good, don't eat it, grow it!
Fiat
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Oct 4, 2014 10:29 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
I will let you know how things go @fiat. These bulbs came as a Christmas gift to me. I hope to have them for Christmas this year instead of after. I have antique Apple Blossom amaryllis in the ground that bloom at Easter. Our winters aren't cold enough for them to bloom for Christmas. I will try with these.

The leaves have yellowed quickly since taking them indoors last well. I stopped watering about a month ago. The days are in the high 80's still with nights in the 50's. I will cut the greenery back. Should I take them out of the pot and into a paperbag or leave them? They came in the pot that they were in. I am tempted to place them in the fridge. Do you recommend that in our tropical climate, Margaret/@mcash70?

This is what they looked like lastJanuary.

Thumb of 2014-10-05/ShadyGreenThumb/78cc59
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Oct 4, 2014 10:47 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
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Cheryl, they are beautiful, I would leave them in the pot this year. Your climate is so very different than mine, but I am not sure that they need to go in the fridge, I think just a cool dark place will do. Maybe someone from your neck of the woods could chime in here with their experience.
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Oct 4, 2014 11:20 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
I put them outside tonight where it will be 55ยบ, a lot cooler than in the house. Then back into the house. Maybe the greenhouse would be easiest right now??
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Oct 5, 2014 2:02 AM CST
Name: Barbara
Palm Coast, FL
Amaryllis Master Gardener: Florida Region: Florida Dog Lover Daylilies Container Gardener
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I don't recommend the refrigerator. I tried this one year, ended up with mushy rotten bulbs. Refrigerator can be too damp and temperature varies too much (bulbs along the back wall actually froze).. Fruit in the same refrigerator give off a gas that will also cause bulbs to rot. In zone 9A there isn't a place, indoors, that is really cool enough to let the bulbs go truly dormant. You best bet is to leave them in the pots out of sunlight, stop watering and let them dry out completely for a few weeks. The leaves will eventually die back. Some gardeners repot in fresh soil to jump start the bulbs into flower production after dormancy. In the South, we are just fighting Mother Nature since dormancy depends on day length, temperature, and dryness. I've given up on trying to force them for winter bloom. Mine are all in the ground, they die back when the nights get into the 30s, and will start to put up new growth as the nights get back into the 40s, as early as late Feb in milder winters. Just a warning for keeping them outside year round In zone 9A: If you have frost, cover the bulbs with a frost blanket or mulch heavily so the bulb itself doesn't freeze.
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Oct 5, 2014 2:18 AM CST
Name: Barbara
Palm Coast, FL
Amaryllis Master Gardener: Florida Region: Florida Dog Lover Daylilies Container Gardener
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I just saw the earlier message. If you receive bulbs this Oct, they have already been forced. Just plant them and they will immediately put up flowers. They will bloom in Dec or Jan this first year. Some cultivars are quick and some take a bit longer to get going. Its getting them to rebloom for next Xmas that is the real problem. The nurseries downplay this issue, making it seem so easy to get the bulbs to rebloom for Xmas. The bulbs will rebloom just fine, but not necessarily on your timetable. The flowers are so beautiful that they are certainly worth all the time and effort that I put into growing the bulbs.
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Oct 5, 2014 9:15 AM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
Morning Glories Critters Allowed Birds Houseplants Butterflies Garden Photography
Thanks for your input Barbara. I have been drying mine out for a few weeks now, amazing how long they can hang on to the leaves even though they are bone dry.
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Oct 5, 2014 11:16 PM CST
Name: Fiat
Modesto -The Central Valley of (Zone 9b)
I believe Barbara has nailed the point.. " If you receive bulbs this Oct, they have already been forced. Just plant them and they will immediately put up flowers. They will bloom in Dec or Jan this first year... Its getting them to rebloom for next Xmas that is the real problem..." As for nurseries downplay the issue, I never thought about receiving Am bulbs from nursery directly. Never know which nursery (the place, zone) grow the bulbs I receive from vendors (e.g., HD)? So how do they downplay the re-bloom issue? Can you ask to copy their re-build process/timeline? Just curious. Yeah, still they may come from far different zones? Exact copying be most likely impossible? Thanks for insight.
If a plant looks good, smells good, don't eat it, grow it!
Fiat
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Nov 1, 2014 7:23 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
I can't stop my Christmas amaryllis from growing!! I cut them back, put them in a dark, cool corner of the greenhouse and they grew and grew. They are over 15" now with new leaves. They have a mind all their own but no buds in sight at least. Maybe the blooms will be slower??
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Nov 1, 2014 7:55 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
Morning Glories Critters Allowed Birds Houseplants Butterflies Garden Photography
Cheryl, did you stop watering them? Shrug!
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Nov 1, 2014 8:12 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
I totally ignored them. No water. No sunlight. No attention. In fact, I was so surprised when I saw them today and how big they have grown!
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Nov 1, 2014 8:18 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
Morning Glories Critters Allowed Birds Houseplants Butterflies Garden Photography
Wow, that is amazing Cheryl!! Blinking Maybe someone in your zone will have some answers about the next step to get them to bloom. Shrug!
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Nov 4, 2014 12:03 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
I think if I bring them out of the shade and into some sun they might bloom by the holidays....
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Nov 4, 2014 2:08 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)
Region: Canadian Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Tip Photographer Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
Morning Glories Critters Allowed Birds Houseplants Butterflies Garden Photography
Cheryl, do they have buds yet?
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Nov 4, 2014 2:20 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
No buds, just long weak leaves. I have moved them to their place on the front porch where they will get some bright sunlight.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.

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