Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Hippeastrum Personal Guide

Hippeastrums that Do Not Require Dormancy:
Hippeastrum puniceum 
H. Roseum (salmon orange one)
H. reticulatum var. striatifolium 'Mrs. Garfield' (This should be the common pink one in SG)
H. reticulatum var. striatifolium 'Bangkok Rose'
H. vittatum ( dark orange, almost red http://www.wellgrowhorti.com/Pictures/Landscape%20Plants/Shrubs/Web%20Pictures1/H/Hippeastrum%20Vittatum.JPG )



Okay, I am going to keep this page updated with info that I have found online. This is to prepare for my future hippeastrum experiments in hot and humid Singapore.

Timeline to Prepare for Forcing:

"Time to dry the bulb: 1 week
Time to store in fridge: 8 weeks
Time to expect blooms: 4-5 weeks

So suppose you want to have blooms for Lunar New Year, you'd need to start the process at least 3.5 months ahead, around mid-September.


The bulb to force should not have bloomed during the 8 months preceding to the time you start the process. "

http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index.php?/topic/27147-amaryllis-and-hot-weather/

"From planting out a barebulb (i.e. removal from fridge and put in pot with minimal soil) to flowering, it took 34 days. "

http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index.php?/topic/849-amaryills-flower/

So this means, assuming CNY is in mid February, I will have to start drying the bulbs beginning November.

Begin Forcing:

Step 1: Stop watering. Dig the plant out of the soil, or pot and wash off all the dirt but leave the foliage and roots in tact.


Step 2: Hang the bulb, upside down, in the shade to dry for 1 week.

Step 3: Trim off the dried out foliage, leaving a "neck" of about 3cm above the bulb. Allowing the foliage to dry with the bulb lets the nutrients in the leaves return to the bulb.

Step 4: After 1 week, wrap the bulb in newspaper and place it in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for 8 weeks. 
Also, don't store any fruit (especially apples) or vegetables in the fridge during this time lest the bulb can be damaged by the gas from the ripening fruit. I wanna try putting the dried bulb with perlite and place in a sealed ziploc bag to protect against ethylene gas, but I'll only try this when I have multiple bulbs to experiment on.

Step 5: After 8 weeks, take the bulb out, clean off any dried roots and leave behind those whitish, still-fresh ones.

Step 6: Place the bulb on top of a glass of water, with the whitish roots dangling in the water for 24 hours. Take care not to let the basal plate touch the water lest it might get rotted.

Step 7: Plant the bulb, which by now have all the whitish roots swollen up, in a pot of good potting soil. Remember to water the pot of soil thoroughly before planting and not to bury the whole bulb in the soil. Pot should be about as big as the bulb only. And the bulb should be sticking out of the surface of the soil.

Step 8: Place the potted bulb in shade, but don't water for 2-3 days. After these initial days, water sparingly until you see new growth. This new growth, if appears from the side of the bulb, is a flowering scape. If it appears at the center of the bulb, it's new leaf but soon the flowering scape will follow.

Step 9: Move the potted bulb to a brighter location and water as needed.
If everything goes right, you will have blooms from 5 to 6 weeks after planting.


Forcing without Cold Temperatures:

Step 1: Dig out bulb and leave to dry in shade.

Step 2: Keep in a cool, dry environment of around 20-28C for 1 month.

Step 3: Repot when scape appears.

Step 4: Water every other day.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg041141032759.html


Post Bloom Care:

Step 1: Remove faded flowers to prevent wasted energy on seed formation.

Step 2: Transfer bulb into a bigger pot containing well-drained soil and place in direct sunlight.

Step 3: Maintain a regular watering regime (water once every 2 weeks. Better to underwater than to overwater) and use those pink granule fertilizer. Bury the fertilizer into the surface of the soil to prevent runoff. Maybe fertilize every 14 days?

Step 4: Allow bulb to continue growing until mid November to begin the forcing cycle all over again.

Credits:
http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index.php?/topic/27147-amaryllis-and-hot-weather/
http://tuysonvien-whereigarden.blogspot.sg/2010/03/forcing-amaryllis-to-bloom-for.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0115405127688.html?2

How to Harvest Seeds:

Step 1: Wait for the stigma to separate into the 3 sticky stigma before taking the anthers and dust with pollen. 

Step 2: Also take pollen from the anther of one bloom and dust the stigma of others (because I heard it makes stronger seed ) the blooms fade within 2 - 3 days after you pollinate them and I don't remove the drying blooms, waiting for them to dry up in place and fall off. 


Step 3: Watch seed pod as it turns from bright green to duller green or greenish-brown. When the pods begin to split open, cut the pod off just below the pod itself. This will take a 4-6 weeks. For Worsleya hippeastrum, it will take 5 months for seed pod to mature.


Step 4: If the stalk and the pod begin turning yellow before maturing, cut the scape near the bulb, turn it upside down, fill the hollow scape up with water, turn it back right side up with the thumb still covering the open end of the scape, and place the whole thing in a glass of water to let it mature. Change the vase water every 3 to 4 days.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0118202414452.html?25

Step 5: Place the pod in a dry, safe place for a few days to dry off.


Step 6: Check for viability by holding each seed up to a light source and look for an embryo, which will look like a squiggly line inside the seed sheath of skin.


Step 7: Remove the seeds from the pod to store or plant them. Store them in airtight containers in a fridge. Label with scientific nomenclature: "seed donor" (mother plant) x "pollen donor" (father plant). Seeds should be viable up to 6 months.


http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg041140149302.html

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg1107562718467.html

How to Germinate Seeds:


Step 1: Select a clear glass container with as much surface available as possible. Fill 2/3 with water. Begin with very warm, but not hot, water. 


Step 2: Float each amaryllis seed on the surface, either side up. They should not touch, but they may drift to touching and there's no real harm done. 


Step 3: Put the container in a place with strong light but not in direct sun. The non-viable seed will sink to the bottom and may be removed. Change water every few days.


Step 4: After a few days, each viable seed will put down a white root. They may even take a month to germinate. When the root is a half-inch or so long, prepare pots with your choice of potting mix. You may make a community pot with several seeds in it, or prepare one pot for one seed. I prefer the latter because you do not have to transplant again nearly as soon. Poke a hole in the potting mix and gently put the white root into the mix, leaving the seed flat on the surface. Green grasslike blade pointing up above surface. Keep soil moist, not wet.


Step 5: Place mix around root. Water gently. Place flats with pots in strong light, but not yet sunlight. Gradually move pots into stronger light. Ultimately, place the pots in the strongest light available, but only early morning or late afternoon sun. 


Step 6: The amaryllis will form tiny bulbs that increase as time goes on. A weak fertilizer (Peters 20-20-20 is fine, but diluted from usual strength) may be given every 10 days or two weeks. 


Step 7: They do not need to go dormant until they have a rather large bulb. Sometimes a bloom can occur in as little as 18 months, but more normally, blooms occur from 18 months to 3 years. You need move the small amaryllis into larger pots only when they really get potbound. Even then moving them into a four-inch pot will suffice for several years. If the seed are good when you begin, there will be nearly 100% germination with this method. If you keep them moist, but not wet, they will continue to grow and thrive during the crucial first few months. Drying out is not good for the very young plants. They may also be grown successfully under fluorescent lights for the first year or so. 


http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0319294623917.html?3



Scent Intensity:

Striped Panther - Strong
Alfresco - Medium
Apple Blossom - Medium
Estrela - Medium
Florence May Maguire - Light Medium
Jewel - Light Medium
Amoretta - Light
Blossom Peacock - Light
Boysenberry Swirl - Light
Desire - Light
Popov - Light
San Remo - Light
Santiago - Light (Blackcurrent/berries)
Splash - Light
Amputo - Faint
Baby Star - Faint
Dancing Queen - Faint
Gervase - Faint
Minerva - Faint
Picotee - Faint (Lemon and rose)
Sweet Lilian - Faint
Sweet Nymph - Faint


http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0120035431015.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0114112527741.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0323254632507.html

Multiple Rebloomers:

Aphrodite
Blossom Peacock
Dancing Queen******
Estrela
H. Aulicum (winter grower)
H. Cybister hybrids (winter grower)
Minerva
Neon

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0815024513609.html?50



Constitution of Bulbs:

Elvas - weak (keeps aborting flowers)
Exotica - very tough
Gilmar - susceptible to virus 
Limona - tough
Pink Floyd - very weak

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg1110244317841.html?5



Useful Links:

Mature bulb has roughly 12 leaves:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg021307586460.html

Guy wintering his bulbs (with pictures):
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0911511613156.html?4

Best to leave bulblets with mother bulb until they're sufficiently large (similar size) coz when separated, the bulblets will grow much more slowly:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0910021024484.html

Ploidy and Propagation:

Mother bloom X pollen donor
Useful info by user Haweha:

My general findings are:
TET x TET works well. Including self pollination.
Some cultivars however, and particularly pink hybrids do not produce seeds. Appleblossom did generally fail, but its pollen was effective, as was previously stated.

DIP x DIP works well too. But selfing works SELDOM. H.papilio (see above) H.aulicum v.robustum and "Pink Floyd" would refuse repeatedly. "Giraffe" refuses to become mother at all but its pollen is effective (situation like "Appleblossom")
With selfing H.cybister "Chico" I was successful - one season.

DIP x TET works but extremely seldom.
Of my DIPS only H.aulicum v.robustum does produce seeds in a kind of promiscuitive manner  with DIPs and TETs, either. And even with "Melusine" which I strongly suspect to be one of those modern hybrids which carry a triploid set of chromosomes.

TET x DIP never worked for me. N-e-v-e-r. I read much about successful pollinations in this direction, but I am wondering whether accidential self pollination or pollination wit pollen of another TET might have taken place instead.

Amputo - DIP (ovary fertile, success with Misty, Exotic Star, Gilmar)
Aphrodite - TET
Apple Blossom - TET (ovary sterile, self-sterile)
Baby Doll - TET
Baby Star - TET
Black Beauty - TET
Blossom Peacock - TET
Charisma - TET
Chico - DIP (self-fertile)
Christmas Gift - TET
Dancing Queen - TET
Donau - TET
Evergreen - TRI (ovary infertile)
Exotic Star - DIP
Exotica  - TET (accepts DIP, TET, TRI)
Fairy Tale - TET (self-fertile)
Gilmar - DIP (accepts DIP, TET)
Giraffe - DIP (self-sterile)
Graffiti - DIP/TRI
H. aulicum v.robustum - DIP (self-fertile outdoors)
H. cybister - DIP
H. leopoldii (white) - DIP
H. leopoldii (red) - TRI
H. papilio - DIP (evergreen clone is self-sterile)
H. petiolatum - TET
H. reticulatum var. striatifolium (pure white distinct strip on leaf. Mrs Garfield as a yellowish diffused strip) - DIP (self-fertile with different clones)
H. x Johnsonii - DIP (self-fertile)
Intokazi - TET
Jewel - DIP (self-fertile)
Jungle Star - DIP (self-sterile)
La Paz - DIP
Lady Jane - TET
Lemon & Lime - TET
Lemon Lime - DIP
Lemon Star - ??? (very ovary fertile, self-fertile)
Lima - DIP (very ovary fertile)
Limona - ??? (very ovary fertile, self-fertile)
Minerva - TET
Misty - DIP
Opal Star - DIP
Orange Sovereign - TET
Party Animal - TET
Pasadena - TET
Pink Floyd - DIP (self-fertile)
Red Lion - TET
Residence (Orange Double Cybister) - DIP
Ruby Meyer - DIP
Ruby Star (Juicy Red, MUST GET) - DIP
Santos - DIP
Showmaster - TET
Sugar Candy - DIP
Supreme Garden - TET
Susan - TET (ovary sterile, self-sterile)
Sweet Lilian - DIP
Tres Chic - TET
Wedding Dance - TET
http://www.landspro.com/forums/showthread.php?3877-Hippeastrum-Ploidy-Miniature
http://www.landspro.com/forums/showthread.php?2663-Pups
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0315522824549.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0813564623433.html?7
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg121320215974.html?20
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg1218532611500.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0123551830406.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0115111311193.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0210380227483.html?26
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0814150415156.html?17
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg021801526598.html?26
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg032225416638.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0318043322770.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0214265030477.html?73

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