A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Amaryllis

I guess that's what it is . . . one of the tenants gave it to me last winter - said she didn't know what to do with it after it flowered.

I waited till spring then put it in this big planter with some Martha Washingtons, ivys, and other tidbits - some coleus. It looked nice out there by the table garden throughout the season.

I've since removed the Washingtons and other stuff.

Now - what do I do? It's over 2 feet tall . . .



Shall I wait till the leaves start wilting? Or should I cut them off now?

Most instructions speak of storing it in a dark place? Do I keep it in soil to do that or just in a bag or something?

It wants to be really root bound so you need to find a pot that is just alittle bit bigger than the bulb. If you do that keep it moist for a bit it will flower. It likes a sunny window. But they are very top heavy so you have to figure out how to anchor the pot. I think you can get one indoors to flower several times a year. Keep it in the soil if you want repeated blooms through out the year.

It is time to stop watering and let your bulb dry out. Store in a dark place and let the leaves dry out. I am not sure when you are supposed to bring it out of the dark...I am sure someone else knows

Well, then you plant it with the tip of the bulb showing, water water water and it's supposed to flower.

I'm going to stop watering, let the leaves crumble down, put it in a small pot, then into the dark - the workroom downstairs or something, then take it out in the late winter and start watering it.

They are a terrific looking flower. The pot mine came with was plastic and the poor thing kept tipping over but if you can figure a way around that I think they are super flowers.

I used to grow these indoors, and the instructions usually said to place them in the dark for about 2 months.

Good luck!

OK - we're not watering . . . some of the leaves are drooping so Jeff's cutting them off two inches above the bulb.

We'll bring it in soon.

I'm looking forward to getting blooms in spring. The lady that gave it to me said she didn't know what to do with it after it's blooms went - neither did I but I took it on anyway and we've enjoyed those big leaves all summer.

Amaryllis requires a two month dormancy to flower. Put the potted plant in a cool, dry, dark location and forget about it. The plant will look dead. (Good time to cut off the dead leaves.) Then after two months, give it a thorough soaking - just once - and move it to a bright location. flower stalks will appear in a week or two, flowers will open a couple weeks later. Keep the soil on the dry side after the initial watering to encourage more flower stalks.

The flowers will last longer if the plant is in a cool location away from direct sunlight. Remove the spent flower stalks but keep the leaves which is are used to provide food energy to the bulb for next year's flowers.

Post-blooming plants should be moved to a sunny window until next September's dormancy. Keep the soil moderately moist and the Amaryllis potbound.

OK, here's what I do with mine, and I've had them and they've bloomed for years. I leave them outside and water them until the first frost, which is mild, doesn't affect the bulbs, just the leaves. Then I let them dry out outside in the cool/cold nights and well above freezing days. When all the leaves are yellow (never cut green leaves! the plant is still using them!) I cut them and put the pots, without changing soil, in my closet, which is the only unheated storage space I have. They want to be cool (40 degrees F which I can't do, but the point is cold and above freezing). They go completely dry. Around Feb. I repot them if they need it - I give them fresh soil every 2-3 years and keep them in a pot at least 3x the diameter of the bulb. When the first one shows new growth, usually around the end of March, I drag them all out, put them in a partially sunny location and start watering them. They bloom. I am in awe. Life is good. When the flowers die I cut off the flower stalk. Leaves have started by then. As soon as outside is frost free (25-30 May here in Rhinebeck, NY), they go out under the catalpa tree. There they get some full sun in the morning, dappled sun for a few hours around noon, and full shade but lots of light in the pm. This works for mine. The only real problem I've ever had was the summer I fed them with a relatively high nitrogen fertilizer. The bulbs split and didn't get large enough to flower again for several years, although by then I had 4 plants instead of the one I started out with. Sounds interesting, but I wouldn't recomend it. You can cross polinate them and get seed very easily, but it takes 4 or so years from seed to flower. growing anything from seed is an act of trust, faith, and patience. Good luck. MEP

Well, ok but I don't like bringing in soil that's been outdoors all summer - I like to use new potting soil.

We've got about four weeks yet - the end of October always gets chilly.

There are so many different opinions on this - I guess there's more than one answer.