Rodger Whitlock wrote:

So this year, all the amaryllis in active growth (oops,
"hippeastrums") are being fed every other Sunday during the
winter, with the intention of more frequent feeding come spring.
I am looking forward with considerable interest to the results.

I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised Rodger. I have a couple
of clumps of Hippeastrum right at the edge of the 'banana border' in
the garden. To ensure the bananas get sufficient nutrients, the
entire border is heavily 'mucked' with well rotted manure at least
twice per year and top-dressed with pelleted poultry poo every 6 weeks
from March through to October. Everything is liberally doused with
liquid fertiliser once a week during the same period as well, so the
feeding regime is pretty lavish.

Because of their proximity, the Hippeastrums get the same treatment.
They remain in full leaf all of the time and unless we get *prolonged*
frosts (none in the past 13 years) they continue growing slowly
throughout winter. Despite being in shade until the banana leaves
become shredded by autumn gales, the Hippeastrums flower extremely
well in early summer - every year. That said, more bananas were
planted this summer and the shade created has been greater, so
flowering might not be so free next summer. Time will tell.

Feed those acidantheras next summer!

Absolutely - treat them as you would Gladioli (well drained, rich soil
in full sun) and they will not fail to perform.

David Poole
TORQUAY UK