The following was received via email: Can you tell me what I should do with my Amaryllis I left it in a pot and I have tall leaves. And I was wondering if I can do anything to make it flower again. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks Lynne
Leaves are very important to an amaryllis because they contain the nutrients needed for the amaryllis to bloom again. Water, and fertilize monthly. Let the leaves wither naturally in the fall, and don't water much during dormancy. In the spring new leaves appear followed by a bud (or bud before leaves, depends on the plant). With the sign of new growth, resume watering and fertilizing, and move to a brighter location if possible.
We have grown them for years -- after flowering cut off the wilted blooms at the top of the stalk, fertilize and keep watered, as the stalk withers its nutrients return to the bulb. The more leaves that grow the more blooms youwill get next time. When risk of frost is over we take from pot and plant it in the flower garden with eastern exposure and keep on with light fertilizer to encourage leaf growth. As bloomingtime is unpredictable this program has to be adjusted as it may be blooming mid winter or late fall. Last year we were short of spce on the window sills and stuck one plant out in a heated shed with the Christmas cactus on a high shelf near a small window. One day I happened to look and noticed a slash of bright red and we found the poor guy had four big blooms on the end of a bent over stem !!! When repotting use a pot just big enough to have a 1" space around the bulb. They will often produce a "side bulb" which can be planted separately after the dormant period.
