My first amaryllis- can't get it to grow!

18 years ago

I inherited an amaryllis last summer that the owner had given up on because it would only develop long floppy leaves- no flowers. I have never owned one before so gave it my best shot. I let it grow outdoors in a pot all summer, and moved it to a dark closet around september and stopped watering it. I also cut most of the leaves off (which I now know I probably should not have done). Well, I brough it out about two months ago, gave it a good watering, and still havent seen any new growth- just a stump. I have been giving it some warm water very sparingly and it is near a warm vent. The bulb appears very green and doesn't appear to be rotted. And there are lots of big roots and even an offshoot. Is there any hope for this bulb to grow? I would really like to see it bloom! What can I do?

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Comments (8)

rosegrowernb
18 years ago
Hi:
It would appear that the bulb hasnt ripened enough to
produce a flowering bulb.
If it were mine I would check underneath to make sure there
is no rot, then I would make sure it is watered enough at
the root zone,Then if you have flourescent lites I would
put it underneath, close to the lite bulbs,and make sure
it stays watered at the root zone and otherwise let it do
its thing, I have a bulb here that has two offshoots that
are as big as the original bulb, and nothing is happening.
So I do what I described up above.
Eventually in its good time it will start to grow.
The original bulb looks like its a lot smaller than when I
purchased it, but thats another story.
So keep it watered and wait :>)... Jack
triple_b
18 years ago
Well that answers MY question too! Mine was doing next to nothing. Small nubbin of growth sticking up but then it seemed to stop. I put it under my flourescent seed starting setup to hopefully give it a kick. The package said 'avoid direct sun'. Is the risk of cooking the reason for this, or is it the intensity of the light itself? It is about 8" beneath the bulbs, just in case.
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plant_guy
18 years ago
Your bulb is still dormant. In this stage, it needs little to no water. When it is ready, it will come out of dormancy by sending up leaves or a scape. Only at this point should you water it normally.

Plant_Guy
ktea
Original Author
18 years ago
After 4 long months of watching my bulb do nothing...alas it has awakened!!! Thanks for encouraging me not to throw it in the garbage! I look forward to watching it flower. Ive never seen what kind of flower it produces so it should be a nice surprise!
soultan
16 years ago
I had Sugar Candy do the same for me, though it has never awakened for me. Not even outside. I wonder what it will do when I lift it from the ground. I suspect to find an abundance of roots, as they were before. I am still puzzled though why it never leafed out or started flowering.
jodik_gw
16 years ago
I notice with a lot of different plant types, that they tend to put a lot of energy and time into root production... I would suggest potting it up into a container that is big enough for the bulb, but that it can fill with roots somewhat quickly... sometimes, it takes being a bit root-bound before a plant will push up new growth from the top.

Once the bulb fills the pot with roots, that may signal it to grow upward! It's worth a try, anyway!
soultan
16 years ago
It is interesting though that only Sugar Candy does this. I can'd decide now if I should mark Sugar Candy as part of my collection or not. It should really wake up or something.
jodik_gw
16 years ago
If it were my Sugar Candy bulb, I would probably pot it up and give it some bottom heat to kick start it... a drop or two of Superthrive in the water used on it would help, also...

I just moved my Amputo to the heat mat to see if that will wake it up!

My first amaryllis- can't get it to grow!

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rosegrowernb

triple_b

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My first amaryllis- can't get it to grow!

Comments (8)

rosegrowernb

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