Amaryllis Challenge??

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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Mad Dilys »

:snig: :))) :)))


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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Superstar finally opened. Nice enough flower and there will be 6 blooms per stalk but the actual flower sure isn't terribly large coming in at a mere 6" across. Nice stripes, nice red contrasting against the white but for a plant that is topping 40" high (from the top of the counter) it sure isn't producing an overly impressive bloom (particularly since H said the Monster was coming in at 12" which is DOUBLE the size of the flower of this one)

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Am also noticing today that the "V" shape of Minerva has decreased. She isn't going to be nearly as tall as Superstar. I think she has a couple more weeks to go to flower so am hoping her flowers will bloom a bit larger.

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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Horus »

Looks very nice to me LLL :up and just to correct you the 'Monsters' flowers were not 12" across, individually they were a similar size to your own. ;) as a complete flower head they measured about 12" in diameter.
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Ohhhhh - I didn't go back and check but from memory I remembered 12" so was thinking it was per flower.

Tomorrow once all the other flowers are out in bloom I'll measure the overall size of the bloom. So far just this one has fully opened and another is about half way so tomorrow or next day all 6 buds will be out. It IS cool that I'm getting 6 buds per stalk ;)
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

This is it! Most of the blooms are now fully open and overall Superstar measures 'about' 10" across. This is the front side that is facing into the kitchen

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This is actually the backside of the plant that is facing the windows

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Colour-wise it is pretty enough and strikes me as a more SPRING flower which is good cause it didn't make it for Christmas and/or really even New Year either.

Still waiting on Minerva though who isn't nearly as tall and quite a bit slower.
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Horus »

I reckon it looks pretty good size and colour wise, it is as good as The Monster :up
I have now sliced off all of the flower spikes that have finished blooming so as to hopefully let the bulbs get on with building themselves up (I hope) When you cut them off there is a huge amount of watery sap that runs out of the stem, very similar to those jungle vines although I would not want to drink it :td they do seem to heal and dry up fairly quickly though.
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

They definitely do seem to lose quite a bit of sap when you but the flower stalk off. I know MD said that her bulbs seemed to get a bit bigger once she planted them however I'm thinking my actual bulbs are a shade smaller. They're definitely not bigger.

I intend to cut off the flower stalk asap so that the bulb can continue to grow and built up too.
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Horus »

I think that my bulbs are getting smaller also.
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Other years when I've kept the bulbs (and I'll keep these) they've gotten smaller and I'm positive these ones now are shrinking slightly. Nothing dramatic but they're not growing.

I think MD planted hers a different way that I did in that it strikes me she planted them in bigger pots etc. Am wondering if that will leave her with bulbs that will grow better (as in grow long term over the years).

I'm planting as it says on the instructions but I'm wondering if the instructions are ONLY for getting a plant to flower with the idea of disposing of it and not have it continue to grow. The industry is buying these to flower and then trash so am actually wondering IF they're really giving us the proper info on growing these?

Superstar is definitely looking very bright and fresh and lovely at the end of the kitchen counter. Minerva is still chugging along.

Grandad has gone quiet about his amaryllis ....... am thinking he has done the dastardly deed (again) :o :o
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Grandad »

Shhhhh! I don't want to talk too loud but my Red Lion is starting to make very slow development. Several shoots on the move with the longest about 7cm. So, who knows, it might still make it by Easter. ;) :lol:
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Horus »

Or next Christmas :lol: :lol:
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

YES! That is what happened. Grandad bought the 2018 Christmas Amaryllis! ;) ;)
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Finally Minerva is starting to crack open. Should be able to get a couple decent photos of actual flowers over the next few days. The flower buds don't look nearly as large as Superstar who is still going strong with his blooms.

Yesterday I took apart the plants that were all planted together in the arrangement I won as a door prize at the Garden Club. The fern (although watered & wet) was all crispy crumbly leaves so it got tossed.

The dracaena is a variegated one and his roots went round and round the pot. Now have him in his own pots but as there is only 1 he'll probably grow tall and lanky. I did put that little weeping variegated plant into the pot with the dracaena. There were actually two of those so in they went as they're actually really just two strings of leaves with almost no roots. Will see how they do but given the paucity of roots I'm not sure how they'll do.

The ficus I also put into its own pot. It is variegated and looks to be a weeping variety. I haven't had one for years and my experience with them is that they either love you or hate you and if they don't particularly like you they spend their days growing one leaf whilst dropping another one onto the ground for you to pick up. I did real what they need and GEEZ they're finicky. I essentially have forced air heat so I've been scratching my head a bit as to where they can go and NOT get a draft but CAN get high humidity and bright light.
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Mad Dilys »

I have some pictures to put up later, but currently Red Lion #1 has just 2 average size blooms with second stem just showing colour and three large leaves. Looks the healthiest of them all.

Apple Blossom is a very pretty pink and white. One flower head with 4 average blooms and no leaves or a second bud showing.

Red Lion#2 has one with three blooms opening and another one the same height not yet showing colour. No leaves yet.

Minerva is slowly growing at the moment with just a tip of either a leaf or another bud showing.

Monte Carlo has the flower stems withering nicely and has 4 strong dark green leaves and another showing. The flowers on that were definitely the largest so far, also very long lasting I still have the broken flower head in water, two flowers are withering but the other two lovely.

I made a big mistake with my potting. :a17: :a2:

Next time I will have much bigger pots with gravel in the bottom and use the water retaining gel - but not use multipurpose peat based compost. I'll use John Innes instead and will try deeper planting too.
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Grandad »

Still waiting. ;) :lol:
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Horus »

I am still waiting for my second Tesco purchased bulb (the bright red one) to actually open, it has a single very long stem, but looks close to flowering. It only has about three small leaves and judging by the small size of the flower bud it will probably be the most disappointing one as I suspect the flower will be very small. My ‘Tres Chic’ bulb that has already flowered and died off again has grown a third extremely long flower stem and that also looks close to flowering in maybe about a week or so. :o
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

My "Minerva" is just cracking open but given the bud size I'm not optimistic the flowers are going to be big. There are a couple leaves starting too.

Superstar's flowers are still going strong with no sign at all of wilting yet but also no sign(s) at all of any leaves.
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Grandad »

Might make it before Easter. :lol: I even had to turn the camera to portrait format

This was Red Lion 12 days ago
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And this is today with two flower buds and one leaf shoot
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You've heard the story of the hare and the tortoise ;) :lol:
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by Horus »

We did tell you that once they start there is no stopping them and you have two flower spikes :up
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Re: Amaryllis Challenge??

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Looks like your Amaryllis IS finally on the move and once they get going they will shoot for the stars quickly!

My Superstar is still blooming and looking lovely

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And I think getting ready to send out another flower stem which will make 3. I don't think this is a leaf as it looks to plump. Maybe the start of a leaf but I don't think so.

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This however is Minerva. All the time and wait and I'm only getting TWO blooms (disappointing to say the least) off the bud and the second bud doesn't look much better

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This is the bottom of Minerva who has also shot out leaves

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We talked a bit ago about the size of the bulbs. Not too sure really how clear this is to actually view but this is Superstars bulb and the bulb IS smaller. Somewhat shrunk back from the outer most layer of the bulb skin. I think the actual growing part when the bulb grows larger will happen over this summer when it grows leaves.

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Lastly and I don't really have another photo to compare but since the last watering with fertilizer (albeit 20-20-20) this one aerial root has decided to start to grow.

Few weeks ago

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Now - (again hard to see and the angle on the first photo is wrong but I do believe my orchid is starting to perk up and MOVE!)

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