I have also forced my bulbs to sleep though I started late..just the ones in the bowl container with soil..have cut off the leaves last Nov 27 and not giving them water. I just want to test if it will work. since only one bulb rebloomed last year in this batch..I know in my other set-up in clay rocks the bulb rested one time and came back nicely in Spring with a double stalk.

I did not buy any new bulbs this year, and I want the old bulbs to rebloom if they can. I am keeping the leaves intact on the others...so I have a comparison..but depriving them of water so it can rest. Seems like a nice experiment to do.

It's fun to try different methods to get blooms, then do what ever works best for you.

So far my method has produced blooms on all bulbs every winter, most but not all got 2 scapes, this summer I fed them a little more often, the plants were big and healthy and the bulbs increased in size considerably, so we shall see if that makes a difference this year.

'Red Lion', one of the bulbs I took out of the "rest home" on the 9th has a scape showing already!!!

Have a question about my bulbs from last year. They are growing leaves but no scapes, and the leaves they do have seem kind of mottled. Here are 2 photos:




I'm worried about a mosaic virus.

Oh dear, that doesn't look good, sorry I can't help as I haven't seen that on my bulbs.

Do I see white fuzzy stuff on the backside of the straight up leaf in the first pic and on the top of the bulb with one leaf in the second pic? If so, could be mealy bugs rather than the dreaded mosaic virus...

thanks, Dirt--good catch!! I'll try treating for mealybugs and then reassess!

Cat if you have a magnifying glass you could take a closer look to see if it is mealy bugs.

thanks, Margaret. I'll have to hunt down a magnifying glass. I know we have one around somewhere...

I think that was a good catch. It does look like your plant has bugs of some kind. I just read up on virus in Amaryllis in Veronica Read's Hipppeastrum book. Pretty scary, there are at least 3 different mosaic virus and tomato spotted wilt virus. They are transmitted by insects or by buying infected bulbs. Since there's no effective treatment, that's the last thing any of us would want on our plants. Good luck, hope knocking out the insects solves the problem.

thanks, Barb! I treated them yesterday. Fingers crossed!

My 'Red Lion' is now getting a scape, so that's 3 out of 3 that had rested will bloom. So today I took out 'Charisma' and one of my 'Apple Blossoms', I hope they get scapes too.

Just as an update--I think you were right about those mealybugs, Dirt! Since treating the old bulb leaves, the new growth looks healthy. Yay!

Right now, last year's bulbs all have stalks but *no scapes*.
Is this a sign they need to rest? Or will they put out scapes when they're fully recovered from the mealybugs and ready to do so?

so what does it mean if bulbs are sprouting leaves but no scapes with blossoms? Should I put the bulbs down in the basement for a rest? Or let them be, assuming that eventually they'll sprout a scape with blossom?

I would leave them alone at this point. Eventually they will put up flowers. I have many bulbs that put up leaves first before scapes.

thanks, Barb--I'll let them be!

My old bulb leaves have greened up after a day in the rain which leads me to suspect it has a good root system. No scapes to be seen though. Now that the Christmas goal for flowers has come and gone, I will hope for flowers for Valentine's Day since these are red and white. Into the brightest part of my Greenhouse they shall stay!

Cheryl, I hope that works and you get some blooms soon.

I woke up an Apple Blossom on December 22 and it has a scape coming up already!

Margaret, you are doing so well with forcing dormancy. I'm really impressed!