Hi tiny, I'm in NC also (Raleigh) and I take my bulbs in and let them rest around mid-Oct, though Frank (who's also in Raleigh) is leaving some of his out this year to see how they fare. Usually my bulbs don't start going dormant before I bring them in, but this year some WalMart ones that I bought in the spring started getting yellow leaves (they didn't bloom either). I usually put mine in the garage for the winter where it's chilly but doesn't freeze, and take them out in January-ish. Good luck. Alana

Thanks alana, don't have a garage but will put mine in the garden shed or outside storage room

My bulbs are on a different schedule. They go dormant in late spring and I plant them in the garden. Some start to sprout before the first frost and after I bring them in, they all sprout. This year I planted them in a leaf mulch over newspaper and there really wasn't much root development. It looks like I'm just getting leaves this year. Last year I had a wide pot with eight to ten blooms at a time. After they bloom I leave them next to a basement window until they go out in spring.

I grow mine indoors year round. I treat them just like my other houseplants, making sure they have ample light and caring for them as they require. Each spring, they bloom for me.

There are a few different ways to grow hippeastrum bulbs, and I suppose it's dependent upon what zone you live in, and how much time and energy you want to devote to them. When you want to schedule them for blooming is another consideration.

I allow mine to grow, bloom, and rest on their own schedule, and I let them tell me how they want to be cared for. When they drop their leaves to rest, I know to cut back on watering, and when they begin new growth, I know to water a bit more and feed them, etc...

They are really tough bulbs, and the only things you really need to be careful of are freezing conditions and over watering. If you do a little reading here in the forum, you'll get an idea of what everyone is doing... how we're growing them, what pots and mediums we use, what fertilizers are best, etc...

Good luck... and Happy Gardening!