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The "Blue Amaryllis"
Growing medium -- The best medium is porous rock such as scoria, lava rock or other volcanic rock. It lets the roots drain fast, yet it holds on to some moisture in its pores. A small amount of organic material can be added to retain extra moisture and nutrients, like coco husks or fine-grade orchid bark. Do not use much, however (less than 10%). No soil should be used. I use Dyna-rok II, because it holds a large amount of moisture. Local hydroponics stores may sell this, or check Google. You may use a mix of half Fine grade and half Medium grade Dyna-rok.
I recommend leaving the plant in its pot for 2 weeks, so it can recover from being shipped. Give it some sunlight during this time, with protection from strong afternoon sun. After 2 weeks, you may transplant it to a 6-8 inch (15-20 cm) tall pot, leaving the upper part of the bulb exposed. The pot should have ample drainage holes at the bottom.
Transplant gently to avoid damaging the roots, and give bright shade the first 3-4 weeks. Then increase the sun gradually, over a period of a month or two.
Watering & feeding -- Water once a day, using enough so that water freely runs out the bottom of the pot. About once a week, i submerge the pot in a bucket of water, to "recharge" the rocks with moisture.
For feeding, most high quality, general-purpose fertilizer or bulb fertilizer should work. Follow the dosage on the package. You may instead feed with a dilute liquid hydroponics fertilizer 2 or 3 times per week. For this, consider using General Hydroponics "Flora" series of nutrients, at 1 teaspoon per gallon for each of the 3 bottles. You can buy them at hydroponics shops, or online.
It's normal for an older leaf to occasionally turn yellow and die, but if it seems excessive, try increasing the nitrogen fertilizer. Yellowing leaves may also indicate a need for more frequent watering.
Climate & sunlight -- Worsleya comes from an area with moderate temperatures and cooler nights, similar to San Diego's climate. I'm not sure how it will do in areas that regularly get above 90 degrees F (32°C), especially if nights are warm. It can tolerate a couple degrees of frost, but i recommend keeping it above 35 degrees F (2°C).
Worsleya likes mostly-sunny conditions, with some protection from strong afternoon sun, especially in warmer areas. Remember to shade the plant for a few weeks after transplanting, then increase the sun slowly.
Over about 40% humidity is recommended.
Good luck with it!
Jeff
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