Amaryllis flowering

Question

We received an amaryllis bulb as a gift at Christmas time, planted it and we’re rewarded with long green stalks, also 36 inches now but only one small stubby bloom that dried up next to the side of the bulb. The stalks/leaves continue to grow but alas no flowers. What are we doing wrong?

Answer 1

An amaryllis flower stalk that tall suggests that the plant got very little light. Small, dried up blooms can be the result of indoor environments that are quite dry. Probably not much that you can do for this plant now. (Unless you live in a no-freeze area and you want to plant outside and wait for future blooms.)

Suggestions for next time: keep the plant closer to window. Turn the pot every few days so the stalk grows fairly straight. And perhaps add moisture to the air by adding a saucer with pebbles and water under your pot.

One other thought – many times the bulbs purchased from big box stores have been sitting for weeks/months in dark kit boxes in the store’s dry air. These plants are unlikely to perform well. Bulbs purchased from reputable online sellers can be climate controlled until purchased and therefore start out in better condition.