Re: Amaryllis?? to Haemanthus albiflos
> Brian, when do you bring them back inside? Do you keep them growing
> under lights after you bring them in and before they bloom? I.e.- no
> dry dormancy at all? Any signs of them wanting to go dormant
> (yellowing leaves disintegrating, etc.)?
Marge
The Hippeastrums are usually brought in mid -September to early October
whenever frost threatens. The adults get a dry dormancy in a cool area of
the basement until their flower buds skyrocket. The young offsets are
usually separated and kept growing under lights. Some years an August
drought or an early frost will assure an early dormancy.
One of my favorite exotic amaryllyds, that any of the folks with children or
grandchildren should be growing, is Haemanthus albiflos . . . the shaving
brush plant. Gosh, its great for the little kid in all of us.
Its white flower head, with a few hundred yellow stamens supported on a
sturdy one foot stalk give it its common name. Flowers last for over a month
indoors followed by attractive orange berry clusters. The chubby strapped
leaves remain evergreen as long as it doesn't get nipped by a frost or
burned in the early summer sun. They are in bloom right now . . .
incredibly for the third time this year. Propagation is easy by offsets,
leaf cuttings or pearly seeds. Seed germination couldn't be easier. They
will germinate on a kitchen window sill by themselves. . . no pot, no soil.
If you can find them, they are sure worth growing. Grow your own shaving
brushes.
Brian Zn4a
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