Rhodophiala question

Leo A. Martin leo@possi.org
Sat, 21 Jun 2014 13:15:07 PDT
Pam Slate asked about Rhodophiala advena. I have a few seedling bulbs left from about 20
seed I planted about 10 years ago. I haven't been able to make them happy and they
haven't bloomed.

For the first few years they were in a foam cup 6" / 15cm deep and half that across, in
builder's sand, which here in Arizona is a mixture of rock types from riverbeds. They
dwindled away, each year fewer returning. Some years ago I moved them while dormant to a
very much larger and deeper container with local native soil. They have not grown any
better.

I store them inside the house for the summer. I put them outside when nights cool down
in the fall and begin watering. I water them plentifully during the winter and they go
dormant on their own when it warms up in the spring, with or without water. They seem to
be undamaged by our full winter sun. Mine have tolerated overnight frosts into the mid
teens F / -8C or so with no signs of injury. MiracleGro 20-20-20 doesn't seem to make a
difference.

Non-bulb enthusiast friends who visited Chile have talked about amaryllids growing on
the coast in sand a hundred meters or so inland from the sea. Their description sounded
like R. advena. Is this likely?

Leo Martin
Phoenix Arizona USA




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