Dear Neil: How should I overwinter my amaryllis bulbs? When you want to plant your bulb, place it in a pot not much bigger than the bulb, with its shoulders above the soil. I have been told that amaryllis do not NEED to go dormant, if you don't care when they bloom. Most hybrid amaryllis, though, will go dormant in the fall. If so, pot the bulb about six to 12 weeks before you want it to bloom. At least eight weeks. This can be accomplished by inducing the plant to go dormant and then storing the dormant bulb at a temperature of 50 to 55 F. It looks all dead and dried out on top. They were still going gangbusters through Sept. Now, if I remember, and I want them to bloom at Christmas, I bring them inside, stop … tommyr2006 Poughkeepsie, NY(Zone 6a) Sep 21, 2015. Longer is fine. Don’t let them go dormant in the summer, however…the leaves are producing energy all summer that gets stored in the bulbs, and this will ensure that the plants have the strength to flower in the coming winter. Its leaves and roots have dried and withered away. They will bloom again if allowed to continue to grow. After your amaryllis has rested for 2 to 5 months, you can start again. Do I bring it out and let it leaf out with no flower and then let it go dormant again? Honestly, do you think a wild amaryllis moves to a dark cave during its dormancy? Give it one good drink of water and place it in a warm, sunny window. Withholding water and fertilizer in early fall forces the bulb into a dormant state. A: I’m going to assume you’re talking about the amaryllis that we see given as gifts around the holidays. It’s not hard to do. Giving the bulb a rest period (i.e. You should not water the bulb. I received at Christmas and it only leafed, no flower. They only require repotting every 3 or 4 years, which should be done after allowing the plant to go dormant as described above. Containers with four to five bulbs will need 12 to 16 ounces (2 cups). In late September, before hard frost, move the pots inside to a cool location. When you bring your amaryllis indoors, store it in a cool, dry, and dark place. They do need the right routine over the intervening months, though. Buying Amaryllis Bulbs. Floral stakes are available to make this easy, but a simple twig and a piece of twine will do the trick. An amaryllis that doesn't experience at least two months of dormancy won't flower. I was talking to a coworker at Home Depot that told me I should check the bulb. Unlike some other bulbs, amaryllis do not require a rest or dormant period. However, I’ve heard from a couple people that they were told to cut back the plant after it has finished blooming. Waxed Amaryllis bulbs do not require water, and … They claim it produces better blooms when forcing an amaryllis to bloom for … You need to keep the leaves on the plant. These make a nice gift, but there are usually not a lot of color choices—generally they offer red, pink, and white. My first year, I stopped watering my Amaryllis in August, but left them outside. I see a lot of different suggestions online. The leaves will gradually wither and fall away as the plant goes dormant. Subtropical amaryllis will go dormant if not watered; you can repot them later to get them growing again and blooming by the holidays. During this resting period (dormancy), plants … Treat the bulb as described under How to Care for Amaryllis, above. Don’t do that! : allowing it to go dormant). Source: Claire Tourigny, from the book Les 1500 trucs du jardinier paresseux. The leaves will die back then I bring them indoors and sit them on a shelf. A dormant amaryllis is a bulb. In order to bloom, amaryllis bulbs must be exposed to temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees F for a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks. Bookmark. They need the leaves to grow so the amaryllis bulb can store energy for the dormant phase. Although many authorities recommend you put your bulb in the darkness during its dormancy, in fact, that’s of no importance. The bulb needs time to store up nutrients, followed by an essential dormant period.. Once you see the flowers fade, trim off the stalks but not the leaves. Leave the bulb alone and don’t water it. This can be accomplished by inducing the plant to go dormant and then storing the dormant bulb at a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. 1 of 5 If you have a protected location, or if you're in a part of Texas where temperatures rarely go below 25 degrees, sub-tropical amaryllis can can be grown in beds in the ground. There’s no rush, so if you have several bulbs you may want to start them at different times. Let it rest for a few weeks, and that will trigger it to bloom again. Some people like to remove their amaryllis from the pot and store it bare root during its dormant phase. On occasion, flower stalks grow tall and require staking. Amaryllis must go through a period of dormancy to rebloom. If grown in a frost-free garden (Zones 8 to 10), amaryllis will naturally bloom in March, April, and May, with fall rebloom possible. A basement or garage is ideal. • The single Amaryllis will need about 8 ounces (1 cup) of water to stimulate growth, and the containers that have 3 bulbs will need 10 to 12 ounces of water. Put the potted amaryllis in a cool (55 degrees F), dimly-lit place such as a cellar for 6-8 weeks. This can be accomplished by inducing the plants to go dormant and then storing the dormant bulbs at a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees F. I thought they would go dormant by themselves with the smaller amount of water. Plants that are outdoors should be brought indoors in mid-September. The very popular amaryllis (Hippeastrum) usually blooms around Christmas or into January or February in the Northern Hemisphere, then produces long green leaves that allow it to store energy for the following year. Amaryllis bulbs in winter go dormant, so it won’t need any water or attention. Amaryllis thrive when planted outdoors in the summer and will produce new plants that can then be broken off and planted just like a canna bulb or Iris bulb. Once the plant has bloomed, cut the stalk down to approximately 2 inches. Unlike other bulbs, Amaryllis does not require a dormant period in order to flower. However, if you want to time your plant’s bloom around the holidays the bulb must be forced into dormancy in the fall. How to rebloom your Amaryllis. My dormant amaryllis (in dark closet in cool basement) is now starting to sprout leaves, but no apparent flower.... what should I do now? Answer: When you buy or receive an amaryllis, it likely will be a dormant bulb. Repot for a Second Appearance. Let them dry out completely. All you need to do is follow our step-by-step instructions for growing these beautiful plants in a container of your choice. my biggest bulb ..papillio.. is larger than my other african ones..?? Step two — Let the bulb go dormant. ... Keep amaryllis flowers out of direct sun and in temperatures between 55° and 70° F to help them last ... Don't pack down the soil as you go. You can let it go dormant in your garage until the ground is warm. Let the leaves die back before cutting them off and do not water. I take mine out of the pots (I only have a few) and let them dry. My amaryllis was in bloom when I brought it in from the garden, where it had spent the summer. As the leaves yellow and wither, cut them off at the top of the bulb's neck. After the foliage dies back, it requires removal. When shopping for amaryllis bulbs, you can buy the boxed kits that contain a bulb, a pot, and some soil. by Connie Oswald Stofko Many of you may have received an amaryllis bulb or plant over the holidays, and you’d like to get it to rebloom indoors next year. Post #10144554. When do I take my amaryllis out of storage so it will grow again? Amaryllis plants love being pot-bound and will deliver showy flowers to prove it. It has several strap-shaped, hysteranthous, green leaves with midrib, 30–50 cm (12–20 in) long and 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) broad, arranged in two rows. My boyfriend got me an Amaryllis for Christmas. For the bulb to flower again, we must simulate its life cycle, and force it to go dormant. When the flowers are done, cut the spent flower stalks back near the base. Quote. Before long it should start growing. In order to bloom, amaryllis bulbs must be exposed to temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks. And even smaller amaryllis can be persuaded into a repeat showing with a bit of patience and consistency. But bloom time can be controlled by allowing the bulb go dormant (stop growing) for a period of time. Usually this happens naturally at the end of the growing season. Will it ever flower or is it a dud? No, don’t put your amaryllis bulb in the fridge while it’s dormant. But amaryllis bulbs are often purchased to grow as potted plants for holiday bloom, which is only possible if you plant the dormant bulbs at precisely the right time—about 10 to 12 weeks before desired bloom time. If you want to try to rebloom your amaryllis, you simply need to allow the bulb to go into a natural dormancy phase. The secret to get this beautiful plant to rebloom year after year is to never stop growing it. ... grew healthy leaves over the summer and in midsummer decided to go dormant… Those are sub-tropical bulbs that will withstand temperatures into the 20s (as opposed to the hardier St. Joseph’s lilies, also known as “hardy amaryllis”). Let the foliage grow for a couple months and keep up the watering and fertilizing schedule. Six to eight weeks before you want new blooms, repot the bulb in fresh potting soil and place it in bright, indirect light. What's up with this bulb? Only filling halfway makes it easier to place the bulb at the right height. Then it’s time to force the bulb into dormancy: Stop watering and move your amaryllis to a cool, dark place — 40 to 45 degrees F. I thought I had killed it because it didn’t go through the normal cycle of having the green leaves sprout for very long after flowering. Amaryllis is a bulbous plant, with each bulb being 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) in diameter. The standard procedure is to either let the Amaryllis grow all winter in doors or force the Amaryllis to go dormant in the winter (replicating the "in the wild" dormancy of native Amaryllis). How long does my amaryllis bulb need to be dormant? As noted earlier, amaryllis bulbs will rot if they are too wet, so err on the side of caution when watering. Amaryllis grows leaves but no flowers if you try to get the plant to rebloom too quickly.