Preparing for the Year-End Season
Friday, August 06, 2010I have just dug up my Amaryliss bulbs to kick-off the 'forcing the bulb to bloom process' since they have not shown any new flower stalks for more than a year (Ha Xuan, thanks again for the details of the process!).
I am now drying the bulbs by hanging them upside down (like the pic below), for a week, before wrapping them with newspapers to be stored in the fridge about 8 weeks. Then, I would let the roots soak in some water for a day, afterwhich hopefully the flower stalks will show up in 5 to 6 weeks!
So if everything goes well, I would see their blooms in December :-D
Hmm... I wonder if I could do the same for my calla lilies. They have not shown any new blooms since I bought them two months ago. Some of their foliage have been scorched by the surprisingly super hot sunlight two days ago. Otherwise they were green and nice under the morning sun with light shade in the afternoon. Now I have just moved them away from the sun as I am afraid that the hot spell will come back.
Has anyone tried to freeze/force calla bulbs to bloom before? I appreciate some advice from you :-)
Would really love to see my callas bloom again. Their gorgeous flowers could last for at least a week!
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18 comments
So, I need to heed your advice and get my amaryllis ready now! I wondered what I should be doing with them. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteHi Steph. Love your calla lilies. They are just so pretty. Thanks for reminding me that I had better check on my amaryllis bulbs in the basement. LOL!
ReplyDeleteHi Steph. Love your bulbs with the bad hairdo ... they look like mischievous marionettes.
ReplyDeleteYour upside down Amaryliss bulbs look like they're wearing grass skirts. Your calla lilies were pretty, I hope the bloom again for you. :)
ReplyDeleteThe upside down bulbs look so cool! I'm not sure why, they just do. I hope to find some of the callas for my fiance's wedding bouquet, but the the dark purple/black ones are the best.
ReplyDeletePretty pictures! Maybe I should try the same process with my gladiolus bulbs. Only two kinds bloomed but I had dug them up and kept them in a cool place. This was to save them from the heavy rains in our region. Love your calla lilies and your red amaryllis. Hope they'll bloom this year!
ReplyDeleteAbout your comment on my blog, yes...I did look up after reading what you wrote. I tend to overlook...thanks for the mention.
Have a great weekend, Steph!
Great start, Steph. If the bulb has stored enought energy, the process will work and you will be able to see blooms in December.
ReplyDeleteI'm crossing my fingers for you... :-)
Did you know James got his bulbs bloomed?
Your calla lilies look cool n sweet! Hope to get a few from the nursery to decorate my small pond
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steph, for sharing this with us. I would love to try this out as I have a big pot of Amaryllis that have not bloomed for yearssssss.......! It would be awesome to have the beautiful Amaryllis blooming in my garden during Chinese New Year.
ReplyDeleteNice tips. Now we are getting into various techniques in getting what we want out of gardening. It is not just about growing and waiting... ~bangchik
ReplyDeleteHa Xuan, yes, I have seen James' blooms. They are beautiful! I am crossing my fingers for mine... but like Bangchik mentioned, the various techniques in gardening is truly something that we need to explore. The process is as important as the end result.
ReplyDeleteRainforest Gardener, P3chandan, hope you will be able to find the calla you desired to have soon.
Rosey, Hocking Hills Gardener, JC, Kanak, good luck on your bulbs.
Prospero, Dianne, you have a good imagination :-D
Hi Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteYour amaryliss bulbs look like 'big onion' to me! Funny of me... I love your calla lilies! My lovely Joivy and me love lilies so much!
Happy Sunday!
hugs~Stephanie
Hi Steph, i love the colors of your amaryllis, do you have my orange colors too? I would love to trade in with your colors, haha! Do you mean they did not flower even after the first rain? Our flower yearly only. They lost the leaves during the dry season and then sprout flower stalks first when the rains come. Then when the flowers dry the leaves proliferate to store energy in the bulbs again.
ReplyDeleteHi Stephanie, You have to go through quite some
ReplyDeletework to get the Amaryllis to flower. I grow mine in the garden, so I have never grown them in pots. the same with the Calla lillies. I know the Amaryllis should be kept dry until the leaves have dried up and fed the bulbs. In the garden the plants take a full year to recover to bring out their floral beauty again. It is a cycle, the plants need to recover.
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ReplyDeleteThe bulb look like garlic bulb for me! ;-) Good luck and thanks for sharing the information!
ReplyDeleteAaron, hope your mother will be supportive when your bulbs are ready to go through this process.
ReplyDeleteJenny, Malar, yeah it does look like an onion or garlic bulb ;-D
Andrea, no they didn't flower. Also, I notice those orange ones are quite productive here as well.
Titania, I hope my bulbs are 'forgiving' enough to let me try out this method ;-)
cool. I look forward to watching this process unfold!
ReplyDelete