On 3/24/2009 5:26 AM, Jangchub wrote:
Without being specific, growers have huge heating and cooling
chambers, ways of closing off light periods and many different methods
of forcing bulbs into production. All bulbs have a dormant period.
Because there is green on the plant does not mean it isn't dormant.
It's not a big secret. Do a search on forcing whatever you are trying
to force and do it.

On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:03:50 -0500, "Andrew Ostrander"
wrote:

I have been enjoying success with my amaryliss (Hippeastrum) bulbs in recent
years, after many years of less success. Now I just leave them on the
window ledge all year, and cut back on their water from September through
December. They get a natural chilling period during winter because the
window ledge is quite chilly. (Winnipeg, Canada).

I used to force dormancy by puting them in the basement in the dark. It was
never very successful.

I notice that some of the posters here say they don't force dormancy, but I
also notice that their bulbs are in locations where they get a natural cool
spell. I think the cool period is necessary for flowering.

You know, commercial growers sell bulbs that are guaranteed to flower, and
do. They know exact methods for reliably producing flowers. I wish I could
find details on what they do.

Andrew


Yes, a plant may indeed be dormant but still green. Camellias bloom
when they are dormant, yet the bush is still in leaf.

However, I have read too many posts in this newsgroup where people force
hippeastrum into total leaflessness by withholding ALL water and placing
them in dark closets or cellars. When some bulbs do not cooperate,
people even cut off the leaves. This could eventually kill the bulb.
Those people equate "dormant" with "leafless".

My hipeastrum do rest in the winter. They stop putting out new leaves,
and they don't bloom. I don't feed them; but I do keep the soil moist,
either in their pots or in the ground. (Of course, I hope they are
watered by our winter rains; but we haven't been getting much of that
for three years.)

If you live in a cold-winter climate and have hippeastrum in pots, you
might want to read
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Flowers/holiday.htm#Amaryllis.
As noted above, howwever, I disagree with the forced dormancy
recommended there.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary