Right out of the box, not so good

Well, this was never meant to be a full-on box kit kind of season. Good thing, too. The results are in, and they do not speak well at all of the low end of the amaryllis market. So, here we go with the skinny on the results, plus just one reminder regarding the possible rewards of growing on. First up is a kit purchased at a Safeway grocery store, featuring a repackaged take on the brand of kits they have sold for several years.

Next up, we have the kit that dared to name names. In this case we are promised ‘Minerva’ in the shapely and stylish kit picked up at the local chain drugstore. The results, please…

And finally, from another grocer we have a kit featuring an older cultivar that is no longer in production yet is still to be found in name only, mostly in these lower end box kits:

As you can plainly see, the box kit scene is always one of the worst gambles in terms of trying to acquire a named cultivar for your collection. You must simply expect the unexpected, and hope for a decent showing, whatever variety the wholesalers  decide is in cheap supply. That said, lets take a look at one of last season’s kits to leave things on an Emaryllis upbeat!

Not known for its performance on first-year roots, it did go on to produce short scapes of decent flowers. It was decided to simply let it grow another season to see what this cultivar could really do. Water, food, and sunshine for the summer produced a strapping plant that was put into a cool cellar in October 2015. About 4 months later, after a single watering, scapes began to emerge from the bulb which had grown to the point of bulging the plastic pot a bit!

And finally, in March 2016:

Almost always, amaryllis are worth the wait. A bit of care over a single season can see them at their best, even those from rather humble box kit origins. Happy growing!