Q.Am I Doing The Right Thing With My Amaryllis Bulbs?
I inherited my mother’s Amaryllis bulbs and I’m so afraid I won’t be able to keep them going. I read about them and cut the leaves off and removed bulbs from the soil. I have placed all the bulbs in one big pot without soil. Now what should I do? I desperately want them to live and I just don’t trust myself to understand completely. Mother always just brought the pots in and stored them in their soil in the dark basement. After years of beauty, not one of the bulbs bloomed for her this spring. (Maybe a sign, as we lost her in August). They grew leaves, but nothing else. They probably needed replanting, fertilizing, etc. but she was 98 and not really able to care for them. Please help me save these bulbs. Thank you so very much!
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
I've had Amaryllis grow leaves but no blooms, too, and it is disappointing. My issue was probably lack of fertilizer. Your bulbs need to rest before they bloom again if you want them to bloom around Christmas. Since you have removed them from soil, separate them in different containers so if one rots, it won't infect them all.
Let them rest in a cool, dark location such as a closet. After 8-10 weeks, they should be ready to pot up again and move to a sunny location. These articles explain:
https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2019/01/can-i-get-my-amaryllis-bloom-again
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/amaryllis-hippeastrum/amaryllis-bloom-again.htm
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/faq/what-should-i-do-my-amaryllis-after-it-done-blooming
https://extension.umn.edu/houseplants/amaryllis