Hi I received some johnsonii bulbs yesterday from a nice gardener. I was wondering if I should leave them potted and keep them indoors for winter, or should I go ahead and plant them? I live in an area that has very hot and dry Summers, and I also have to deal with clay soil that compacts easily. Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Do you get hard frosts where you live? Or freezes? If so, then do not plant them outdoors for the winter. They will tolerate an occasional mild frost only - nothing more. If you do bring it indoors for the winter, just set the pot in the garage or basement -- they need to die off and go dormant for a few months. A good bet is to ask your neighbor what they do for the winter, and do the same.

Thanks Christie. Our winters are usually mild but we do get an occasional cold snap like last winter when we had two nights at 11F, but that's rare. I have a few other amaryllis outside, Apple Blossom and some noid reds that have returned for several years. The lady that gave them to me had hers planted in the ground, but I'm worried about it being so late in the season that they might not be able to get established before the first frost or freeze. I'll probably just being them indoors this first winter just in case we have a bad winter this year.

I think that is a good idea.

OK do you think they'll still bloom next year after being uprooted?

The flower buds would have been formed deep in the bulb this summer, so if they were just dug up, they could possibly bloom in the spring. Its impossible to say how much they will be set back by digging them up and keeping them inside this winter. Maybe you'll be very pleasantly surprised and have flowers in the spring.

Thanks Barbara. I hope they do bloom next year? I'll keep everyone posted. Sent

And actually they work on 2 years of blooms at a time, so if uprooting causes a problem, you might not see the lack of a bloom for 2 years. Something to just keep in mind. Enjoy your new bulb!

Wow I didn't know that Christie. So far they're still a little limp from being lifted last week but a couple of leaves are trying to stand up so that's a good sign.