I am growing H.cybister "Chico" with geat success. Funy; I never performed so much thoughts what substrate should be used! I use coco peat prepared from these "coco bricks" for all my 4- and 2-ploid hippeastrums, including H.aulicum v.robustum. I can only praise it for its outstanding properties in cleanlyness from dirt, pests and diseases, its easy handling and its physical property of softness and structure stability, yes; and extreme fast water motility. As I learnt from elsewhere http://amaryllidaceae.org/Hippeastrum/… both H."Chico" and H."Reggae" are selections of the "true" species H.cybister and therefore I can with full right transmit my experience from Chico in order to make a proposal for the substrate question as regards to the species. I wrote about H.cybister"Chico" in the GardenWeb http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/… I combine and I recommend a 3-action strategy: use of coco substrate; carefull watering FROM THE BOTTOM (every 2nd day) and applying dilute feeding with every watering. My experiences indicate that the watering technique has a greater influence on cultivation success than the use of a high-sophistically formulated substrate. H.cybister is not such a heavy water consumer. The surface of the substrate should remain completely dry (bright). Dark wet spots on the surface indicate overwateríng. It is clear that exlusive watering from the bottom can only be performed under glass or indoors. On the other hand, considering that the majority of commerciably available hippeastrum bulbs is infested with the tarsonemid mite, the bulb scale mite Steneotarsonermus laticeps, it is not wise to let EVER get water into the heart of the plant... Yes H.cybister is a tiny treasure which is worth not to be let stood in the rain... Hans-Werner