What makes Amaryllis hybrids bloom?
Billthebulbbaron@aol.com (Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:16:59 PDT)

In a message dated 8/24/09 11:10:44 PM, mikemace@att.net writes:

In Carmel Valley I had been in the habit of cutting off watering in April,
but in one section the water timer was coming on after that, unbeheknownst
to me, at night, presumably once a week, but possibly even nightly. I
didn't catch this til the first of June, when everything else had dried off and
there was this one section where the amaryllis were still fully green. So I
shut it off and watched for any difference in growth. I left that area
and the adjoining plantings dry until around the first of August when stems
were appearing. There were 2-3 times as many flower stems from the
overwatered area, but they bloomed later, presumably due to the later start of summer
dormancy.

A landscaper customer of mine in Danville says she has splendid bloom from
them each year, her method of growing is the same as for the rest of the
landscapes she does--they get 3 minutes of water a day thru the drippers, all
year (except it is turned off during rainy periods). This is in clay soil
under mulch. She says everything (presumably trees, shrubs, and perennials)
does better under this watering regimen.

For me, bloom increases each year (I grow only the hybrid type), and I
water on well into May, but it doesn't have to be all that often, especially
given there is alot of clay and subsurface moisture where they are now in Moss
Landing. Once they start emerging, watering a couple tmes a month,
facilitates digging selected plants for sale, and good quality tall stems for
picking. The first watering in particular triggers a very large number of
stems, left alone they straggle in more irregularly, so leaving some areas dry
longer can facilitate a longer flowering season.

This year has been the most spectacular bloom season ever, I left alot
unpicked to facilitate selecting and a little more hybridizing. One thing that
has surprised me in this usually foggy (in the summer) coastal climate, is
the excellent bloom I am also getting on some seed-grown Brunsvigia
josephinae, these all blooming for the first time in their lives, at approx 8 years
of age. One is in bloom now (59 florets) and there are 7 more about to
open, all looking large and healthy. They are in good, rich somewhat heavy
dark-colored soil over clay, and have sized up really well since I planted
them out here.

Best wishes,

Bill the Bulb Baron (William R.P. Welch)
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