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Wintering Plants in Pots - Part 2Read the article this discussion is about
This archived discussion is "read only". » HollyT - Brugs and amaryllis Congrats on getting your greenhouse too!Re why i don't just let this brug enjoy the greenhouse, this was its second summer, and it got 5' high and about as wide. My gh is about the same dimensions as yours but is more like a sunroom--insulated glass, brick floor, only have one 13' plant bench on south side. Haven't quite settled on the temp range i'm aiming for, but think i want to keep it fairly warm (around 60 min temp) in fall to bring phal orchids and amaryllis into bloom. then maybe a bit cooler after holidays. Have fantasies of starting delphs in Jan and growing on in cool house, so they will be big and ready to bloom in April, but more on that later. Anyhow, i had visions of this huge jungle plant covered with whiteflies, filling up my limited space. :-( Glad to hear that a good hosing and a dose of Safer's will prob control bugs, but I think i will use Marcella's solution. want any cuttings, anyone? Re amaryllis, sounds like you have the right technique. If you put them in a warm place about Dec. 1, they would prob start blooming for you in Jan, when we really need flowers. a bit of frost before they are brought in is supposed to trigger bud formation. I usually put mine in garage in early Oct for jan bloom, but just read in RHS mag that they shouldn't have dark dormancy. Should have 50 deg temp, reduced watering and no fertilizer in fall, leaves cut off abt end of nov, and warming below pots if they don't start to grow soon. Can't give them 2 mo. of 50 degrees, but leaving them out under eaves during oct and nov may be better than 2 mo in garage. On the other hand, have heard they want steady cool temps to best set buds, and we don't have that here in fall. I keep experimenting, as i do love those huge flowers in january. I take them into office, and my friends get to borrow them thru their bloom cycle. Also bought about 20 more bulbs this year to give as presents--does this sound like an addict? -- posted by HollyT » Marge_Talt - rain and brugs Marcella,Well, it's raining here as I type - and much needed, I may add...it's been very dry here. Sure hope you didn't sustain too much damage from your storm! I am delighted to hear that brugs will tolerate temps in the 40's! May move those guys into the greenhouse once I finally get it in order and learn what the temp range is in there. -- posted by Marge_Talt » Marge_Talt - Brugs and amaryllis Holly,Thank you! It's been sort of a struggle but I'm so glad it's up there and I look forward to enjoying it this winter. Ah...so that's why! Well, I can understand that. Probably best for you to give it a haircut anyway as they do grow fast and if you leave it that size, you'll have a giant next year. Your delph fantasy sounds good. That is one plant I haven't had much success with because it loathes our heat. Nice idea to get them going early in a cool house...hadn't thought of that. Having some space to do this kind of thing will take some getting used to...opens the door to all sorts of possiblities. Re amaryllis...read that same article with interest since it was contrary to generally accepted practice that I've read. The RHS 'The Garden' is well worth the entire membership price, don't you think? Didn't realize that a touch of frost triggered bud formation. Mine always get that - and not exactly on purpose, it's just that I wait so late to get pots under cover :-) My garage is attached and heated, so it also stays around 50F and I generally just plop the pots toward the back...hmmmm, maybe they ought to stay in the gh where there is light. I've also generally let the pots dry off until I saw new growth...will try to do things a bit differently this winter and see what happens. My poor babies hardly get in and into dormancy before Nov., so it seems a short period to start them back into growth in Dec. I've got one pot right now that isn't showing the least sign of going dormant and I as wondering what to do with it...the others are yellowing leaves, etc. I bring them up into the office when the buds are looking like opening, but find the change from cool garage to heat in office makes the bloom short-lived and then the leaves get floppy...but those lovely, huge blatent blooms are hard to beat as winter doldrom chasers! 20 bulbs that you're going to give away? Naaa....not an addict; an addict couldn't bear to part with a one of them :-) More like an enthusiast... -- posted by Marge_Talt » Cottage_Garden - Amaryllis Mine have never been stored in the dark FWIW. IN this house I leave them in a cool but bright stairwell(must be 50's daytime, maybe upper 40's at night but I've never checked!)-- and I bring them in around Halloween (or maybe later -- when I have time and motivation) so yes, they've had some nice cool nights! They never start to go dormant on their own, so I stop watering them and eventually the leaves yellow. Then I cut them off. When they begin to grow again seems to vary from plant to plant and year to year. Some of them sprout on their own and some don't start until I've watered them a tad. (I wait the 8 weeks, so some start faster than that. Maybe the frost thing is true!) I don't claim to understand it -- I just peek at them from time to time and start them up when I get around to it!If you are giving away the inexpensive plain red ones then that's okay. If you are swapping offsets of the unusual ones for more unusual ones, then that's okay. But if you are giving away fancy ones you don't have yet, then you are not addicted. -- posted by Cottage_Garden » Cottage_Garden - Whitefly I hate whitefly. I throw out any plant with whitefly. Immediately. And I take it to my neighbor's to throw it out.You can control it somewhat with washing and soap, but not enough to make me happy. But then I really hate whitefly. I would throw out any seriously infested plant, whatever the infestation. Many problems accelerate at an incredible pace once plants are brought inside and kept in close quarters. I hate dealing with the problems so I try never to let them start. -- posted by Cottage_Garden » HollyT - More amaryllis Must confess I don't have my own subscription to RHS mag. Have good friend in Europe who subscribes, and I have shamed her into sending her mag to me, rather than tossing it out. But it's fabulous.Re my amaryllis addiction, I order these things from Van engelen and daff mart with the intention of giving them away, but then i can't part with them if i don't have the variety, so i end up buying ordinary varieties from home depot and giving them away, and keeping at least one of each of the new ones. Long suffering hubby looks on in amazement as bags and boxes of bulbs come in the door, week after week, and i say "great christmas gifts for $5-6 each dont you think--let's make the list." Has no idea i keep a backup for virtually every one i give away. Ahh, but it's a wholesome addiction! I note that no one has asked for a cutting of my 5x5' whitefly magnet. -- posted by HollyT » dayan - Amaryllis Hi all:You are all definitely out of control on these plants. And it better not be catching 'cause I can't support any new addictions! I got my first one almost exactly two years ago from a dear aunt in Germany. Trouble is she sent it in a plain brown box with no instructions--looked like porn but she was concerned that there was an export ban or something equally ridiqulous (can't you just see a field full of naturalized amaryllis?). I have been having trouble reconciling the conflicting advice, especially since mine didn't die back by itself. I have one question still though; when you let it dry out for dormancy, do you keep it as dry as when you receive it? sans pot etc.? Or are you after the just barely damp as in some bulbs and tubers? Thanks -- posted by dayan » Marge_Talt - Amaryllis Well, Barbara, I don't think there's all that much difference in what yours get and what mine get. My garage isn't pitch black because of the light that comes in through the "greenhouse"...either old leanto or new real one. And, the temps are about the same. Mine, too, seem to break dormancy at different times and I've always just let them go dry once I've brought them in...and they will go dormant if you do this.But, think I'll try just leaving that one that shows no signs of dormancy in the gh with water and light to see what happens to it...I've several, so if it decides it doesn't want to bloom because it's never gone dormant, I'll still have some flowers. -- posted by Marge_Talt » Marge_Talt - whitefly I'm with you, Barbara..of all the pests plants can get, I think I loathe whitefly the most. You can think you've gotten rid of the little *&^%$#@!, but you really haven't.OTOH, I also hate dumping a plant until it's really a gonner, so I'll try to rescue whoever it is from whatever pest it has. I really do think that indoor air humidity has one whale of a lot to do with whether the pests show up or not. Warm dry air attracts all of them like magnets. I always wonder just where on earth they come from! I mean, you'll have a plant doing fine outside; looks clean as a whistle. Hose it down, give it a dose of Safers...bring it in. Looks fine for a month or so and then whammo! Some pest is there in quantity.....sometimes I think their eggs are in the air, just waiting for it to get dry enough to hatch them :-) -- posted by Marge_Talt » Marge_Talt - More amaryllis - RHS + brugs Well, Holly, I hafta take it back...does sound like you may be working on a wee bit of an addiction here:-) Pretty smooth way of feeding it without your hubby taking notice, I must say :-) But, as addictions go, I can't think of a better one.Re: RHS...Consider it recycling...I've been a member for years; joined back in 1985 when we went to Chelsea (probably one of the most memorable trips I've ever made...will never forget it). I'm not a big joiner, but of what I do belong to, RHS is the last one I'd give up. I noted in this last issue that they are finally really getting online. They mounted a web site a year or so ago, but it had little on it. Now, it seems, they are getting their entire plant database ready to make available online. I couldn't figure out whether they mean to make it available to all or only to members. It is a fantastic resource for members, even those overseas and getting more online will help those overseas to make use of the resources. How's about a raincheck. If I find I can grow these guys, and your white fly magnet is still around next year...can I come back and ask for a cutting then? -- posted by Marge_Talt Please follow the guidelines set forth in the Suite101 Posting Etiquette when adding to the discussion. |
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