Gardening Help for an Amaryllis

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LovelyLadyLux
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Gardening Help for an Amaryllis

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Each and every fall I avidly wait for the Amaryllis bulbs to in. And each and every year I buy one, grow it (I realized these bulbs are prepped and will grow and flower even if not planted) and then 'save it'. I've probably got 6 to 10 Amaryllis bulbs in pots ALL happily kicking out long green healthy strapping great leaves but NOT ONE has ever re-flowered for me.

Has anybody ever had any success with getting ANY forced bulb to re-flower? What do you do? How do you do it? HELPPPPPPP PLEASEEEEEEEEEE...... I have fantasy dreams of ALL my Amaryllis flowering and getting just a HUGE mass of bright red sulty exotic blooms but so far other than the new bulb I faithfully buy every year all I get are green leaves!

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Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Oooops - I was trying to include a photo of my "prize" this year! But didn't realize what I cut and pasted wasn't the photo of my Amaryllis! This is what I grew this year, flowered a bit later than Christmas but any ideas how I can get this again next year? OR at least the year after?

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Post by Horus »

This may be useful :)
The key to repeat flowering in the care of Amaryllis bulbs is to keep them cool, 55 deg.F (13 deg.C) maximum, for at least 8 to 12 weeks. This can be accomplished either by putting your bulb in a cool, dry storage area or, preferably, by keeping your plant in a cool growing location for this length of time. It is not necessary for your plant to go dormant, but just for it to be cool. You should not water your bulb at this time. Cut off any dead leaves.

If you want to store your bulb dry, you can remove it from the soil, clean the bulb and place it in a cool (40-50 deg.F : 5-10deg.C), dark place such as the crisper of your refrigerator for a minimum of 8 weeks. Caution: Do not store Amaryllis bulbs in a refrigerator containing apples, for they emit a gas which will kill the bulbs. Also the bulbs must NOT be frozen.

After a minimum period of 8 weeks you may remove your bulbs. Start them as you would any new Amaryllis and pot up the bulbs.
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Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Thanks for the tip! I will defintely try that. I've bought Amaryllis in all colours over the years for Christmas. They flower, then I grow the green leaves, let them die back naturally, dry the plant out over summer and then re-pot in fall. They always grow so I know I've got that part down but they NEVER reflower BUT I've never given them the cool treatment! I've got a few so will let them grow on like always and then once we come to summer and I dry them out I'm going to shove them somewhere that is cool. Makes sense and hopefully this will spur the older bulbs into flowering. I've always assumed that the bulb that was force for this year wouldn't have enough "uumph" to produce a flower next year but I've always though that after one or two years they'd produce again.

I have visions of a huge flat pot of Amaryllis all growing and flowering at the same time with the bulbs planted in soil with green moss over top.....

I think this next year I 'might' just achieve this! Thanks for the info!!! Very much appreciated!
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