roseycheeks
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Location: Lakeview, Ohio zone6

Amaryllis mistake

I might have made a boo boo with 3 of my Amaryllis plants. They were growing leaves but no flowers, so I cut the leaves off of all but one, that one ,I took the leaves and roots off and put it back to sleep. I also have one from last year that is sending up a flower stalk. Please tell me I did not kill the others!

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rainbowgardener
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I don't grow them, but leaves are what gives the plant energy to grow. It can't be in good shape without them. Even the one you said you cut the leaves and roots off and "put it back to sleep," I don't think it works that way. The bulb went through its sleep cycle, "woke up," used up the stored energy and nutrients in the bulb to grow those leaves and roots. It now has no more to do it again and no way to replenish. In the natural way of things, it would now go through a growth cycle and the leaves and roots would spend the whole season feeding up the bulb again.

Someone that knows more than I do should chime in here, but I'm thinking you may well have killed them.

thanrose
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It's going to depend on how robust the bulbs were. If they came from a relatively expensive gift source, the bulbs could be 3 inches in diameter or more. They may still bloom. If they are smaller, or you've had them for a couple of years, cutting the leaves off now might kill them, or just might cause them to grow more leaves but no flowers.

We think of amaryllis as a Christmas flower, but you really need to wait until March or so to see if they will bloom. They do require a certain amount of care, especially if they are a little older.

roseycheeks
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The one that I cut both the roots and leaves off is very small and kind of soft. I think I will keep one of the ones zI just cut the leaves off, there seems to be a very small leaf coming up. And one that is growing a stem.

roseycheeks
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Posts: 421
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2013 10:51 pm
Location: Lakeview, Ohio zone6

The one that I cut both the roots and leaves off is very small and kind of soft. I think I will keep one of the ones zI just cut the leaves off, there seems to be a very small leaf coming up. And one that is growing a stem.



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