Amaryllis - starting out

[rocketfiredash]

Hey Everyone!

I hope I am posting under the correct forum, I've got some amaryllis questions!

So, after Christmas, my brother, who has infinite faith in my ability to keep plants alive, brought me home 2 amaryllis "kits" that he got on the discount shelf! He's always thinking of me!

I immediately planted both of them...there was no leaves or sign of leaves on them at all.

Since then, they both have grown leaves.

Plant A: grew 5 leaves, they were never very rigid/healthy looking. They were a more pale colour, and have begun to die back. I just cut them off today at about an inch or so above the bulb.

Plant B: grew 6 leaves. They were much darker green and healthy looking. They were not sagging like plant A. Half of them now look like they are beginning to fall down, but are still green. I have not cut these leaves at this point.

My question I guess is...now what? Do I take them out of soil and let them go dormant? Do I fertilize them and see if leaves come back? I have done some reading, and general care seems fairly simple, however, at this time of year I'm not quite sure where I stand... How do I get them back on a "typical" amaryllis cycle?

Thanks in advance!

[hendi_alex]

Where are you located?

I have about a dozen potted amaryllis. The plants bloom in the spring, in fact the last bloom just finished this past week. After blooming, I take the plants outside and let them stay the summer in filtered sunlight, under the canopy of an oak tree. In the fall, I lift the bulbs, add fresh potting soil including some osmocote, and put the bulbs back in the pots. The plants which still have their leaves are brought into our sun room for the winter. The biggest caution is to not over water the plants. That will cause rot and kill them quicker than anything. Give them a good watering when the soil feels fairly dry, but don't water again until the soil dries almost completely. The plants do not need to go dormant in order to bloom the next season. In February or so, flower spikes will start to form, giving rise to clusters of four flowers per stem. When all danger of frost is over, the cycle starts over. I've had my amaryllis for several years and would rate them as pretty easy.

[rocketfiredash]

Thanks for your reply!
I'm in Southwestern Ontario... I guess that is pretty key information!

Our weather has been pretty sporadic, 20C one day, and 3C the next.... today was 14C, tomorrow will be back down to 3C.... oh the joys of springtime!

What temperature is it when you begin bringing your plants outdoors?

Now that I've cut back plant A.....uh oh...maybe I should have asked first and pruned after!

I've read that amaryllis leaves collect nutrients, then die back, then flower growth...cycle continues...

I feel like over watering hasn't been an issue...but it is possible that they've been too wet...maybe that's why my leaves are falling over?

[hendi_alex]

Up until this year, I always let a frost kill the tops back before repotting. This year I read that the plants don't need to go dormant, so they were allowed to stay green all year. That was much nicer than having the stubby bulbs sitting in the sun room throughout the winter.

The plants can easily stay outside when the night time lows are above 40-45. Actually with a bit of mulch amaryllis are cold hardy in the ground here in S.C., with temperatures getting down into the mid twenties. Of course when left outside the bulb go dormant with the first hard frost. So really the bulbs are o.k. with any temperature above freezing, when they are in the growth phase.

[roseycheeks]

I received a Amaryllis last year in a kit, it grew and bloomed and I put it outside and it grew the leaves and then September the leaves withered and died, I put it inside in the bedroom where there is no heat and took the soil off and let them have a dormant period, then today (October 20,2013) put them in fresh potting soil and under a flourescent lamp, there were fantastic roots and they were all good and long, the bulb itself was firm and there was no red spots on them. So just going to have to have patience and see what happens.