Forcing Hippeastrum bloom

[Vicky]

Hello,
I'm experimenting with putting Hippeastrum bulbs in a dark shed hoping to force them to bloom at the end of the year.  This is the first time I've tried this.

They are planted in small pots & were place in a shed with no light in my yard in San Francisco, CA. October 1.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience doing this & I welcome any suggestions.

I am not sure when I should pull them out, I'll check the internet also.

Vicky

[Martin Bohnet]

Welcome on Board, Vicky. 

I'm not really sure why you want them to be dark, all I'd expect from that treatment is to give them overly long stalks and floppy leaves. Dormancy in Hybrid Hippeastrum is mostly moisture controlled as far as I'm aware. I'm not exactly sure about the time frames, but after a minimum duration dry dormancy it will take a rather predictable time to flower after staring to water. as for the precise numbers I'm also curious as I got myself a cybister Hippeastrum bulb this year as "by-catch" on another order...

[David Pilling]

Seemingly people do put hippies in the dark for 8-12 weeks, but it is optional and about shifting flowering time. As soon as, or if any growth appears they should be taken to the light. But if you bought the bulb with no roots this period may give them chance to form.

See:

https://extension.umn.edu/houseplants/amaryllis#control-blooming-858665


I thought it was more exciting, compared to their usual fate, that they could be left to grow continuously.

"Unlike some other bulbs, amaryllis do not require a rest or dormant period. They will bloom again if allowed to continue to grow."

[CG100]

Getting plants to "perform" as the nursery trade and/or any one person desires is very often quite complicated and little short of a total PITA on an amateur scale. Controlling moisture. light level and day length and temperature, or some combination thereof................................

Getting one batch of 100,000 Anthuriums to flower in December, by comparison, is a walk in the park.
The days of pre-treated Hyacinth and Narcissus for the Christmas trade are/were, just the very first and simplest stirrings of the practise.

[Martin Bohnet]

moving this over from the General area, it doesn't get more "bulb" than Hippeastrum 

Little update on my cybister: it stayed perfectly dormant in a paper bag at room temperature, and even outside said bag in normal indoor lighting for a few weeks - planting with 2/3rd of the bulb over ground and watering started the flower stalk to emerge within a week.