Post by J. P. GilliverIt's pleasing when a plant shows life
Post by J. P. Gilliverafter a long period of apparent inactivity; I feel it every year when
my hippeastrum (amaryllis) puts outs its ridiculous flower stalk,
followed by its healthy leaf pairs, when they've usually died off a
few months previously. (This year one leaf has - so far - remained
green and fairly healthy, though the very tip has yellowed so I think
it's going to go.)
Good to know you are guardian of a hippeastrum, too, Jpeg. I *adore*
Someone gave me the big bulb, in its cardboard presentation box labelled
amaryllis, some years ago; I didn't get round to potting it for a few
months, then did, as per the instructions; I gave it more compost I
think the second year, but no more since: I just give it the dregs when
I rinse the mug I drink (coffee, fruit juice) from, and it seems to be
happy with that (plus whatever it fixes by photosynthesis from the
leaves during the year).
It has put up that ridiculous stalk - grows unbelievably fast, about an
inch a day until about two feet tall - usually somewhere February to
April - every year but one (2022 I think), which then produces those
four ridiculous red flowers: I always think they represent those Tannoy
speaker stacks you used to see at village fetes and the like. I think it
put up two spikes (thus eight flowers) the first year. Once the flowers
(and spike) have gone, it puts out about four pairs of healthy leaves;
despite instructions I don't remove those until they shrivel (and I
leave them until the green has all gone, on the assumption that it's
draining back into the bulb), which they usually do in the autumn. As I
said above, this year one leaf has remained mostly green. (For those
that don't know, the leaves are long and thin - like blades of grass,
but about an inch wide, up to about two feet long (so as they come in
pairs usually, about a yard span), and a bit thicker. Think celery, but
not quite as solid (and darker).
Post by J. P. Gilliverthem and have numerous. Several of them have flowered indoors, some
for several seasons and I had 4 outdoor flowers this year. Also have
several babies which haven't reached flowering age yet.
Mine's never been outdoors; it lives on the kitchen draining board most
of the year, but I transfer it to one of my front windows when the spike
starts to appear so my neighbours can see and share the flowers.
I sometimes cross-pollinate it which makes seed balls, but I've never
done anything with them.
Post by J. P. GilliverMy dear brother Gervase died last year and my sister-in-law is the
delighted owner of a hippeastrum "Gervase." I plan to get one this year.
Is that the white-flower one?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
There's too much attention paid to how TV can be bad for you, but I think it's
good for us more often than it's bad - Professor Barrie Gunter of Sheffield
University (quoted in RT, 15-21 March 2003).