In my garden it averages six to eight weeks for pods to ripen. I dry fresh seeds on a paper towel for three or four days and then use the floatation method to germinate. Refrigerate dried seeds in a sealed container if you are planning to keep them for any length of time, but the fresher the seed sown, the higher the germination rate. Hippeastrum seed does not keep well and should be sown as fresh as possible. Your lovely red hippeastrum looks very similar to one I have here, and I can't find an id for mine either!

It's very difficult to provide an accurate ID for blooms. If you'd like, you can check out emaryllis.com to see if you can find a bloom with all of the same visual characteristics. Even if you find a match, there is no guarantee that it's what you have.

I agree with Julie's information about seed ripening, seed starting and seed storage. I tried to float a batch of seeds this summer without giving them a few days to dry out first and the whole batch rotted and turned mushy. Thankfully, it was a group of seeds I wasn't particularly eager to grow, so the loss was easier to take.

Thanks, ladies ... Great info. I'm more of a succulent gardener and am not at all too familiar with bulbs. These bloomed so nicely this year and not at all last year. They did survive Hurricane Maria outdoors! Does it make a difference if the bulbs are in the ground or in pots? Should I separate out all the bulbs and accommodate them each year or leave them all together in their pots? They are in shaded sun and only receive whatever rainfall we have. I really have neglected them.

Maria Elena

Although they do very well in pots, I have always found hippeastrum are even better off planted in the ground. Roots have the benefit of greater insulation in the soil compared to sitting in pots, and bulbs are less likely to be troubled by over/under watering when grown in the ground....that being said, I have seen some wonderful examples grown in large containers, and keeping bulbs in pots is a common practice. They seem to do well in either situation, but growing in the ground is easier for both you and the bulb.........that is, if you have the lovely warm year-round climate to be able to do so!

If planted in the ground, bulbs can be left to multiply for many years before there is any need to lift and thin out the clump. Pots on the other hand, can fill up quickly and after one, two or possibly even three years- if growing in a larger pot, you will most likely need to split bulbs up and re-pot on a regular basis.

There is no need to separate each and every one of your bulbs out into it's own pot unless they have become overcrowded, or flowering has started to decreased.

If I had the choice, and living in a warm climate, I would plant in the ground- if possible.

Second choice would be a large pot with a few bulbs growing together. This looks very attractive and is what works well for me, and I am in a temperate zone.

Those in cooler regions have different needs, and for many of them, growing outside year round is not practical, and the smaller movable pots work better for their situation.