H. petiolatum (?) offsets

9 years ago

I have a bulb that was labeled as H. stylosum. However, when it bloomed it was definitely was something else. The small (2") flowers were on a short scape (6" or so). They looked like either H. curitibanum or H. petiolatum. I think it is probably the latter because it produces a LOT of offsets, and I have another clone that produces quite a few as well. They grow in between the papery dry tunics covering the outside of the bulb, and are then shed into the pot. They are not connected to the basal plate or any leaves. With some gentle digging, I found more towards the base of the bulb. Back in February I removed 24 of these offsets, which are shown in the picture. The problem is, I don't know how to get them to start growing. I placed them in moist pine bark dust and placed them in indirect light. After 4 months of not seeing any growth I pulled them out to make room for something else. The strange thing about these offsets is that they didn't decrease in size notably. My species bulbs that need a dry dormancy shrank quite a bit over the same time period. So basically I was wondering if anyone here has this species or has seen offsets like this, and how to get them to grow. If anyone wants to try to grow them I'd be happy to mail a few of them since I have more than I know what to do with!

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Comments (5)

papillonmina
9 years ago
Hello,

I dont grow Hippeastrum petiolatum, but I had a few other species which need a long time to start growing. For them I find out that temperature fluctuations can help to start the growing period. It is like that they need cold nights to let them bloom.

I hope that yours will wake up soon and I would be interested to give them a try and grow them. Please let know if I could get a few.

Regards
everado
Original Author
9 years ago
Sure, I'd be happy to send you some. Just send me a private message on here with your address.

What other species have you found benefit from cool nights?
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PRO
Texas Amaryllis Nursery
9 years ago
Hippeastrum petiolatum, H. striatum, and H. blossfeldiae all seem to readily produce offsets on the sides of the bulbs, especially if planted shallow. I read somewhere that these offsets are dislodged by rain and transported by water in their native habitat. I have started new plants by these bulblets by potting them up and putting them on an intermittent mist system. So it seems that abundant moisture may be the key to getting them to sprout. I also have found that by planting the bulbs of these three species deeper in the medium keeps them from forming the bulblets as readily.
everado
Original Author
9 years ago
I will have to try to replant it deeper, it is producing so many of these that the mother bulb is not growing. I have noticed most of the bulblets are produced above or at the soil line. It is buried about halfway. I had a system set up to keep the pine bark dust wet by wicking up water, and they stayed wet for the whole three months I had them planted. Did you let yours dry out between waterings? What were the temperatures like?
PRO
Texas Amaryllis Nursery
9 years ago
I used an intermittent mist system that watered for 6 seconds every 6 minutes during the day. Had bottom heat that kept medium at 75 degrees F. Based on your experience with non-growth and my experience, it is my opinion that the frequent mist leached out inhibitor hormones that get washed away by the water and rain in the native habitat, The subirrigation you had would keep the medium moist but would not leach out inhibitors. You might try soaking the bulblets in large quantity of water for a couple of days before planting.