How do I get rid of fruit flies which have taken up residence in my amaryllis planter/soil? Added: Thanks for the article on pests, Heather… Dailyllama (Patrick)
Treat the soil with neem oil. This will kill the eggs, larva and adults. It is not an instant kill solution. It takes a few days for the neem oil to work, but it is very effective. This article will have more information:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/neem-oil-uses.htm
Can you tell me what type of fertilzer I should be using on my amaryllis? I live in Phoenix, AZ and the plants are outdoors in containers, and a few are in the ground. The leaves are healthy but they rarely produce flowers.
Use a high phosphorus fertilizer or bone meal. The phosphorus is what plants use to make the blooms and helps with blooming. Here is more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/phosphorus-plant-growth.htm
I live in the desert. In the summer, the temperature is between 90-105 degrees. It can also be quite windy. Should I still put my amaryllis plant outside as the growing instructions suggest? Or, should I leave it inside the house, which is air conditioned?
As long as you keep them watered, the temps will be fine. I would put them in a sheltered location to keep them out of the wind as this will cause them damage.
Several days after my plant bloomed, I discovered the stalk and the leaves have now bent over. I could use information on its care. I'm unsure of how much stalk to cut back and if i need to cut the leaves. This is a potted indoor plant, and it's the first season, as I received it as a Christmas gift.
The stalk bending can be caused by too little water or too little light. For future reference, you can prop the stalk back up and enjoy the flower from it for a bit longer.
Once the flowers have faded, you can trim the stalk back to the bulb. Leave the leaves until they have turned yellow. The leaves are how they make enough energy to bloom next year, so you don't want to cut them off before they are dead. This article hasmore care information:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/amaryllis-hippeastrum/amaryllis-care-instructions-how-to-care-for-an-amaryllis.htm
When should you let this houseplant go dormant? When should you put it in light and water again?
This article will help you with their care and their dormancy:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/amaryllis-hippeastrum/amaryllis-care-instructions-how-to-care-for-an-amaryllis.htm
Once the flowers have died on the amaryllis, should you cut just the flowers away and leave the stalk for reflowering, or should you cut the entire stalk?
Once the flowers have faded, you can trim the entire stem back to the bulb with sharp scissors. This article will help with getting the flower to rebloom: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/amaryllis-hippeastrum/amaryllis-bloom-again.htm
My amaryllis has finished flowering. Where the flowers were I have got what look like bulbs. What do I do with them? Are they small bulbs?
These are seed pods. You can let them mature and try growing the seeds: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/amaryllis-hippeastrum/amaryllis-bulbs-propagation.htm
But, be aware that if you leave the seed pods on, the plant will have a smaller flower the next time it blooms due to the fact that the bulb will be splitting its energy between the seed pod and next year's flower. If you do not want to get seeds, you can simply cut the flower stalk off.