Hippeastrum 2008

[Michael]

Oh my! I love your cybister! It's my fav Hipp. species! I hope to get one on spring

[Maggi Young]

I really don't know Maggi. The label just says Orchid.

No matter, Anne Karin ... it is the same in the UK, often orcids are sold with no species name.... though, of course, so many are intergeneric hybrids os very complicated parentage, that perhaps we should be grateful for the simplicity of "orchid" !! 

[Joakim B]

I have problem seeing it clearly but can be a Phalaenopsis hybrid or a Dendrobium phalaenopsis both common in stores in Sweden and Portugal so presumably in UK and Norway as well.
Very nice and long-lasting flowers

Nice pictures everyone of "amarylis" as we call them in Sweden.
In Portugal they can be grown outside all year if they are protected from the winter rain. So much easier
Kind regards
Joakim

[akoen]

I think it can be Phalaenopsis equestris (blue)

[Maggi Young]

I think it can be Phalaenopsis equestris (blue)

I think that is it, Anne Karin, thank you!

[Renate Brinkers]

Hi Alberto,
at the moment H.cybister has a bud like always at this time, next week it will be open. I always hear that they should flower in summer but I think the plant hasn´t read the books. It is the third year now that it flowers in Dezember.
Do you also have H.cybister? When do they flower?

[Renate Brinkers]

Hi Paul,

thanks, the same for you.
Did your H.cybister ever made young bulbs?

[Paul T]

Renate,

My H. cybister makes lots of offsets, mainly on small stolons.  Lots and lots of offsets. 

[ChrisB]

I looked all the way through this topic, but have been unable to find the answer to my question.  So here goes.  I have a friend who has neglected her hippeastrum for two years, found it behind some other rubbish with the start of foliage, so she took it out and began watering it.  Leaves have grown very strappy but no sign of a flower, surprise surprise!

What remedies do you folks have for her poor bulb?  It is clearly alive, but she wants to see it flower again now and promises to take care of it once she knows how.  Many thanks for advice....

[Joakim B]

Maybe it just needs to build up size again so water and feed and give it some time outside (the summer) to get plenty of sunshine. Maybe need to be protected from the not so nice weather (UK summer) close to a wall of the house. I see them grow in troughs with overhead protection here in Portugal but with good sunshine on them. They flower well.
I am not an expert so maybe You get different advise from the more experienced growers but that is how I have done with mine and got some to re bloom even if I was way to bad in giving any feeding With feeding I presume I would have had much more flowers.
Regarding having it over winter.
In Sweden I have had them in the window but I had to many and to small window so they got long and "floppy foliage that they later lost when they went out. Some gradually stop watering and then the plant becomes dormant and can be stored without the need of light but a bit cooler than room temperature but frost free.
In Portugal they stay out all year under some protection from the rain (outdoor stair to the upstairs neighbour) if You get what I am trying to say).

Best of Luck
Joakim

[ChrisB]

Thanks for the help Joakim.  Do you just use general tomato feed or something else?  I know she will need to repot it, that's for sure.  With it having so much foliage on it right now, perhaps she should wait until after the summer.  Guess the big plan is to put it somewhere that it can 'bake' and be dry for the summer, then pot it up in September perhaps?

[Joakim B]

Coming from one that did not use much fertilizer I must admit that it only got standard "indoor" plant fertilizer and it will be happy with that and also tomato feed. It might need more than a year to get back to flowering size so it might not yet be critical what kind of feed yet. Later to promote flowering You might want to change. Regarding repotting time I do not know the best time and if it is is repotted during dormacy there is not much root damage but then again it is a bit "dead" and I have repotted plants in growth without much or any setback if one is careful. But again I have done it and it worked but it might not be optimum.
The baking in the summer is good but many growers in Sweden try to have them out as soon as it is frost free to give it as much light at possible. May even need to bring them back when there is risk of frost. I did not go that far just had them out when the weather got better in April / May. The once in Portugal is rock hard and have bloomed well even if a lot of the foliage has been eaten by miniature snails. So as much sun as possible I think.

Good luck
Joakim

[ChrisB]

At this point I should tell you that my friend lives in Toronto, Canada, so the climactic conditions will differ from Portugal, Sweden and England.  However, a lot of the things you have said will still be relevant.  At least they get the baking hot sun in the summer to help the bulb.  She wanted to cut off the foliage now because it is very long and leggy, but I shall tell her to leave it on this year.  What a triumph it will be if she can get it to flower again.  She does listen to what I tell her to do, so I have hopes...

thanks again Joakim.

[Joakim B]

Chris The winters in Sweden and Toronto are similar in that the Hip. can not grow outside and that they are with low lightlevels indoors but often high temps. The summers are similar to Portugal. If baked and watered it may grow a lot during the summer and  I think the foliage can stay since the bulb need all the energy it can get and later when it goes outside they will drop by it self and maybe that energy will go back to the bulb.

I give no guarantee it is just how I grow them where I live. Sometimes well others not so well.
In Sweden many give up their bulbs after Christmas and they will be thrown or part of the compost.
In Portugal they are just planted in a container and maybe watered and it takes care of it self. That is if unless You really want to grow them well. Then they need a bit of fertilizer and not only what is in the soil.
As I presume You also know when changing country one also change the way one garden and also the plants.

Good luck
Joakim

[ChrisB]

Thanks Joakim, I've relayed all you said to her and she has taken note.  I will add this to her instructions.  Yes, I know about climate changes and suchlike, but was not sure about this particular bulb as I've not grown it before at all.  I'm hopeful that, with care, she can get it to flower again.  Thanks again for all your help