help with hippeastrums

i've never had any luck getting hipeastrums to bloom from start to open flower in less than 15 weeks, the ones i'm growing now where planted on the 10th of october.
i brought them last autumn from parkers bulbs planning to have them ready for christmas HAH!
they where planted in good compost reasonably tightly in pots and kept in my greenhouse that is heated by a paraffin heater and keeping the greenhouse to around 15c never drops below 5c.:DOH:
i fed them with a liquid feed of mirical grow twice but they have only just sent up flower spikes it's been 16 weeks. where am i going wrong????

 

I grew two, given two me as Christmas presents. Both identical packaging, so same "brand", but may have come from different sources.

One is about to flower, the other still has't got out of its "bulb" yet ...

I would not feed, or even water hardly at all, until the bulb breaks dormancy. Then I would feed weekly until the flower has died down.

I also think your greenhouse is too cold. Central heating temoeratures more suitable I would think.

Keep the bulb about 1/3rd out of the soil - the roots, when they grow, will pull it down further into the pot.

One thing I read recently was to suspend new bulbs above a tray of water, such that the base of the bulb is above the water, but the dried up old roots are in the water. I haven't tried this, but it makes sense to me that this would "rehydrate" a dormant bulb.

 

We had two from Lidls (one for my mum), ours was potted three days after Christmas and is now 18" high with a 15" flower bud
starting to open. They need warmth to grow well and anywhere between 18/22c is ideal. They can become top heavy particularly in the small commercial pot provided and may need tying up. I haven't fed mine at all.

 

What Kristen said to cold in the greehnhouse , plus day light not long enough , I bought some last year took in to work they were up in a week and 3 weeks later huge flowers everyone imprest , had the summer in the greenhouse fed with tomoto food then laid on their side to let them have rest just about to start them off again

Spruce

 

thats just showing off:D i think i'm to mean with my heating and need to ask boss for a hot house

 

Graham, I've just looked at it again and it's really 2ft high, will take a pic tomorrow just to rub it in (unless it's fallen over during the night).:D

 

can someone tell strongylodon i'm not talking to him/her

 

I is a He:D and here is my 'Hippymaryllis' on it's way to flowering.

 

alright i suppose

 

Too much leaf - never going to get a decent flower stalk on that

 

i grow mine in the house no problems at all just put em on a window sill

 

Are flower four buds enough?:D

 

I've said this before I know, but I cant resist.

Anyone tried growing them at the right time of the year rather than forcing them in mid winter?:D
They flower much better in June.