Amaryllis usually only bloom once a year. After blooming, it is natural for the leaves to slowly die back, nourishing the bulb to produce the next blooms.
I, too, prefer not to force my holiday
plants to bloom by a target date, mostly because chances are I'll totally forget about something tucked away 8 weeks ago. If you choose not to force dormancy, the natural process can be aided by you.
Reduced light, cool temperatures, and drought are important factors which trigger the dormancy and rebloom cycle. Reduced light and cooling temperatures of shortening days trigger dormancy and lights and central heating of homes can disrupt the cycle. Best if you can keep the Amaryllis in a little-used room kept as cool as possible. It doesn't have to be in total darkness (I keep the shades and window open) but be careful not to turn on unnecessary lights.
In dormancy, the
plant's need for water is reduced. Amaryllis stores water in its stalk, which is the last of the foliage to die. By then the bulb has plenty stored water to make it through dormancy. When you then water the
plant, water will be again soon stored in the emerging stalk. It's a
plant that needs to dry out between waterings.
Star