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September Surprises

It is always a thrill to stumble across a plant that I may have forgotten about or one that does something unexpected. That has happened several times over the past weeks.  First, the vine pictured above is the Eastern Prince Schisandra vine ( Schinensis chinensis ), also known as "Magnolia Vine".  I purchased it in May of 2023 from One Green World in Portland. I don't know what attracted me to it, other than the fact that I'd never heard of it before and the description sounded nice.  I didn't forget about this plant; in fact, it has grown quite vigorously up an archway at the entrance to our woodland path. It shares space alongside the rose 'Lamarque'.  I did forget that it produces berries, so I was surprised when I looked up and saw them dangling over the top of the arbor.  The berries are used in Chinese medicine. They are called the "Five Flavor Berry" and said to have five flavors in one - sweet, salty, bitter, tangy and sour.  Chinese le...
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Drunken Amaryllis



Growing amaryllis is easy and fun but every year it is a fight to keep them upright once they begin to bloom because the stems are too tall. I read about a technique, discovered by Cornell University, and it works.

The trick is to give them a dose of alcohol. Any alcoholic beverage is fine - vodka, whiskey, etc., anything but beer. Wait until the stalk has emerged two or three inches and then water with a solution of 1 part alcohol to 7 parts water. You can also use regular rubbing alcohol, but the ratio is different - 1 part alcohol to 11 parts water. The alcohol limits the growth of the stem to one third of the normal growth and results is thicker, sturdier stalks. And, who knows, maybe it makes the amaryllis happier?

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. AnonymousJanuary 13, 2024 at 9:06 AM

    I heard of that method used when forcing paper weight daffodils.
    The scarf'ed baby pan is a nice touch!
    Chavli

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    1. Phillip OliverJanuary 13, 2024 at 1:49 PM

      It does work for paperwhites - I haven't tried it but the article mentioned them.

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  2. Kris PetersonJanuary 13, 2024 at 10:47 AM

    That's hilarious, Phillip. Of those I've grown in the last few years, only the Cybister Amaryllis types seem to be growing tall enough to lean significantly. As I inevitably cut most of mine for flower arrangements, leaning stems aren't a big issue but I'll keep that tip in mind!

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  3. Debbie WJanuary 13, 2024 at 12:18 PM

    Do you keep watering with that alcohol and water combination each day after it gets a few inches tall, or just once and it arrests the height enough? Mine was a gift after Christmas, so it was a bit desiccated and I wondered whether it would sprout at all. It has a bud on a 2 inches tall stem, total about 5 inches counting the bud now, and the leaves coming up are only about 2 inches with dried tips from its dry history. I wonder if it will be naturally stunted anyway from being dormant too long, or whether I should go ahead and give it an alcoholic drink soon?

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    1. Phillip OliverJanuary 13, 2024 at 1:44 PM

      When I first pot it up, I just use regular water. Then, when it sprouts and begins to growth, I started watering with the alcohol/water solution. You are supposed to continue watering with it. I don't water amaryllis that often, maybe just once per week. They don't seem to need that much. Yours should continue to grow. I would just snip off the brown tips.

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  4. tz_gardenJanuary 14, 2024 at 9:38 AM

    I have heard of this trick, then forgot about it. Your amaryllis bloom is beautiful :)

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