Hippeastrum cybister/Soil mix

Uli Urban johannes-ulrich-urban@T-Online.de
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:52:00 PDT
Dear Dell,


Hippeastrum cybister is not epiphytic at all. It has a wide distribution
in Bolivia and grows in fairly dry seasonally moist conditions
associated with shrubs, deciduus or evergreen trees and cactus in
fertile soil. It grows in well lit places from full sun to dappled shade
but never in deep shade. It has a large altitude range and there are
different forms. It can be stoloniferous as some other Hippeastrum
(epiphytic or semi-epiphytic H. aulicum has never been stoloniferous
with me)
It only speaks for the adaptability of the plant that it thrives in
orchid bark, I think what it wants is good drainage and a lot of
fertilizer to increase well and a clear dry dormancy in our northern
hemisphere winter. Even knowing this my plants only flower erratically.
I have donated seed in the past and would so so again if I had some....
but sorry, no flowers the last years.
For soil mix the best I have used for many years now is equal parts
perlite, Seramis ( porous terracotta granules of about 5 millimeter
diameter) and a peat based commercial potting compost. From cactus to
bulb and orchid it enables wonderful solid root development and is
fertilized according to the need of the plant.
Coconut coir with me looks dry on the surface and is sogging wet inside
and has caused a lot of rot especially in cool weather.

Uli


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