Stu's Blog

Amaryllis

Posted on 29 Dec, 2007 4 comments

Last year my wife was given an Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulb which had been bought for her from a well known high street store. I won’t mention the name of the store by name but their initials are M & S ! !

Instructions as to how to pot it up etc. were included. However, the instructions ended with the words, “When the plant has finished flowering discard the bulb”. This seemed ridiculous to me so – putting my Victor Meldrew hat on – I wrote a grumpy letter to their head office asking why the bulb should be discarded. The answer I got from them was something like . . . . most people would not know what to do with the bulb once flowering is finished. Do they think people are stupid.

I certainly did not think of throwing such a large bulb away without first trying to keep it and trying to get it to flower again.

I found some – very simple – information as to what to do and one year later it is in flower again !

So . . . . if anyone is interested these are the instructions we followed.

“By early summer, a bulb which flowered in the winter is ready to take a rest. Stop watering and allow the foliage to die down. Keep dry and leave for three months. In October, remove the bulb from its pot (I cut all the roots off too) and place it in the airing cupboard. When the new shoot appears, pot it up and water it”.

Not exactly rocket science ! !

So M & S, perhaps you should include this information in the instructions in future or perhaps you don’t want people know what to do . . . . so you will sell more !

Comments

Majeekahead

29 Dec, 2007

hi Stu, yes i quite agree - it is unusal that you were not given instructions as to how to over winter this bulb - speaking as a working florist we sell lots of these in the shop i work and we always give the same care instuctions that you have said. - and you are right not rocket science! but then that is the type of uninformed comments you can expect to get from the many high street chains that are tying to muscle in on our bussiness and know nothing about it! need i say more - tesco, sainsburys, asda ect ect....... lol - best go to a florist or garden centre next time stu ! lol

Spritzhenry

29 Dec, 2007

I had a beautiful double Amaryllis last year, with two flower spikes. I kept it for this year and though it only had one this year, it was well worth keeping. This one came from Thompson & Morgan and DID have instructions with it. You are quite right about Supermarket purchases, they don't help and I suspect don't want to! Well, it would hurt their trade, wouldn't it?

David

29 Dec, 2007

Hi Stu! I, like others, suspect that the supermarkets and chain stores tell us to throw these away so we buy new ones next season. I suggest typing "amaryllis" in the search box on this site, click on "questions" and look at the replies to ned's question, which suggests refidgerating bulbs for a while, as opposed to putting them in an airing cupboard. It is the same with hyacinths, etc, with same "discard" instructions. I always plant these out in the garden later, and they are still cloming up every year!. These stores are not as green as they claim to be! A very Happy New Year to you and yours!

Ainsjane

1 Jan, 2008

Hi Stu

I have been growing Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs for a number of years and have several on the go at the moment. I am like you I don't thow them away but pop them in the greenhouse water occasionally, let them dry out Aug/July then set them going end of October/November. I also give then a seaweed liquid feed. They are far to expensive to throw away and I have quite a collection. I get my large bulbs from the European market in Manchester at Christmas time 2 for £5 and use them as Christmas present with the correct instructions.

There was a really good article on them in Gardeners world a couple of Christmas's back.

Happy New Year

Debs

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