It is years and years since I have grown a Hippeastrum or is it an Amaryllis. According to my big Bulb book by Anna Pavord, they are definitely Hippeastrum. When I last grew them, I didn’t know the first thing about gardening or plants, no wonder they died, poor things! This time I must try to do better.
The first one was a pure white one called H. Matterhorn, which showed up so well against the wood burner.
Soon five flowers were open and the second stem with more buds wasn’t far behind.
Eventually it had 9 beautifully large flowers on 2 stems, they looked a bit squashed for a while until the first flowers started fading. We now just have 2 flowers remaining.
I think this one is absolutely gorgeous, Hippeastrum Charisma has such lovely markings on the petals.
Soon all four flowers were open and the second stem isn’t far behind.
I will just have to be patient and wait for the second stem to open its flowers. This time I will have to read up how to keep the bulbs going for more than one year, I can’t have them dying after flowering just once! Anna Pavord goes into great detail on how to get the bulbs flowering again, so here’s hoping!
Do you manage to keep your Hippeastrum growing for more than one year?
Your hippeastrum are beautiful. I enjoy them for a year, then compost them as I’ve never been successful in getting them to flower a second time.
Thanks Pam, I used to throw them out too, but feel I really must try harder this year, we’ll see what the results are!
They are lovely. I have decided to plant up several at different stages for next winter and a white one is a must. Last year I had one flower again outdoors in summer for me after popping the bulb in a spare bit of a container. I will try to keep my pink one for next year as it was such a lovely colour. Good luck keeping yours – any useful tips would be welcome!
That’s a good idea Cathy, planting them up at different times. Your pink on sounds lovely, I’ll be looking for different ones next winter. Anna Pavord says in her book that if an old bulb has made less than 4 leaves, it is unlikely to flower. She also says that they are among the easiest of houseplants, that’s telling me then!
Lovely Pauline. Your green thumb serves you well, indoors and out.
Thank you Susie, but I feel I’m not very good with houseplants, I expect them to survive on neglect and then get surprised when they die! I like to think that I’m getting better though.
I love the white and red Hippeastrum. I have to admit that I have never grown one even for one year. I am a bit like you with houseplants – if they don’t need any looking after and don’t mind drying out occasionally then they can stay.
I think I maybe will pay more attention with bulbs Annette, knowing that bulbs in the garden need to build up their strength from the leaves so that they flower the following year year, so the same will apply to the Hippeastrum.
They’re such a beautiful, big flower. I’ve never grown them. Too many other things vying for my attention, and to learn about, with gardening. I doubt I could keep them alive from one year to the next either.
I will give it a try Alison, I feel I ought to try one more time. The flowers are so beautiful and they last for quite some time so I think that maybe they will be worth the effort!
Hi Pauline,
I’ve never had luck with them blooming twice either – I’ve had them come back again though, just nothing to show for it except leaves!
Good luck with getting them to bloom again.
Thanks Liz, I’ll do my best to get them flowering again next winter. I think it means I have to look after them properly when they stop flowering, instead of just neglecting them as I did before!
Wow, wow and Wow! How beautiful are they!!! I have never grown one but am now inspired to give it a shot next year!xxx
I’m so glad Dina, that you’ll be joining me next winter, they really are such beautiful flowers. I’m determined to succeed this time!
Beautiful. You really picked up some nice ones, I love both!
I have a generic white and a plain red and they’re both always a pleasure to see in bloom. I just repotted them after years of rootbound suffering and it will be interesting to see if they notice the change. They usually bloom for me each year… but of course now that I’ve said that you know what will happen!
Frank
Thanks Frank, it’s good to know that you have managed to get yours to re-flower, I hope we haven’t put a jinx on them now!
Your Hippeastrum are stunning! If you want them to bloom in the winter again, letting them dry at the end of August, etc. is necessary. Usually I’ve simply potted them up as necessary feeding them heavily during the summer growing season (5 leaves per bloom stalk I’ve heard,) and let them bloom whenever they feel the urge which is usually during the summer if they’re left to grow as they wish.
Thank you so much for this information Peter, I now know where I have gone wrong in the past. I have treated them like tulips and let them dry over the summer, then wondered why I couldn’t revive them in the autumn. I don’t mind them not flowering in the winter, as long as they flower again!
I am not sure it is important you know what to call them as long as you share a little love their way.
I think you’re right Charlie and mine have been getting a lot of love as they are so beautiful!
I really must look for some bulbs of these next autumn; yours are absolutely gorgeous Pauline, some of the very best I seen. I have grown them in the past but never managed to have flowers a second year but I’m sure its not too hard to do.
Thanks to Peter/Outlaw I’m hoping that I will manage to get them flowering again. I made the mistake in the past of not feeding them during the summer, in preparation of them flowering, I won’t make that mistake again!
They are both beauties Pauline. Good luck with getting them to bloom again next year. I’ve only managed it once and can’t remember what I did! By the way how many photos are there in this post? I can only see two but get the impression that there are more 🙁
Thanks Anna, they are beautiful flowers and I’ll be doing everything I can to get them to flower again. I see from your next comment that the problem has thankfully sorted itself out.
I’ve answered my own question Pauline. There seems to be a problem when I used my normal browser Google Chrome. I swapped to Safari where I could see all of your lovely photos and then back to Chrome where I can’t. It must be those gremlins at work again.
I hope it stays sorted Anna.
I have never got them to flower again the next year. I love Charisma.
This year one of mine has set seed. I am going to try growing some, although I believe it takes 4 years for them to bloom. Have you ever tried growing them from seed?
I think, of the two, I also prefer Charisma, lovely markings. No, I’ve never tried to grow them from seed, I never thought to look for any on the white one, I just snapped the old flowers off when they were finished, I will be more careful when Charisma is finished!
The 9 blooms on 2 stems are particularly gorgeous.
I’m glad you think so Alain, I have to admit I preferred it when they weren’t so crowded.
Pretty though Charisma is, I love the pure whiteness of Matterhorn. I was determined to try and keep mine from this year, but neither of them has produced any leaves, just the flowers, and I can’t see them being able to replenish their reserves without any leaves… very strange
Matterhorn was so elegant, it is finished now so according to Anna Pavord in her book Bulbs, she says to feed it now so that you will get leaves. You need at least 4 leaves which will come over the summer, then by September time, start to dry it off so the goodness from the leaves goes into the bulb, then start feeding and hopefully one or two stems should start growing after a few weeks, but they probably won’t flower near Christmas, it will probably be later. In the past I have always treated them like tulips, dried them off over the summer and then wondered why they didn’t do anything in the winter!
I’ve never tried to grow one of these, but they’re pretty dramatic flowers.
I agree Catmint, they are stunning flowers, I must remember this time to look after them properly so that we will have flowers again next winter!