Hello,

has anybody had any luck with getting an Amaryllis to bloom the
following year?

I was given one for Christmas 2002, cut off the flowers when they
started to die, cut the stem back after all flowers had died, put it
outside over summer/autumn until the leaves died down, cut them back
and put it in the garage for a few weeks until last month and then
brought it into the house.

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the secret
to getting it to flower?

Thanks,

Mike.

Mike Zanker9/2/04 11:09

Hello,

has anybody had any luck with getting an Amaryllis to bloom the
following year?

I was given one for Christmas 2002, cut off the flowers when they
started to die, cut the stem back after all flowers had died, put it
outside over summer/autumn until the leaves died down, cut them back
and put it in the garage for a few weeks until last month and then
brought it into the house.

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the secret
to getting it to flower?


In the case of ours, neglect! Perhaps you're feeding it too much?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

"Mike Zanker" wrote in message
.. .
Hello,

has anybody had any luck with getting an Amaryllis to bloom the
following year?

I was given one for Christmas 2002, cut off the flowers when they
started to die, cut the stem back after all flowers had died, put it
outside over summer/autumn until the leaves died down, cut them back
and put it in the garage for a few weeks until last month and then
brought it into the house.

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the secret
to getting it to flower?

My aunt (actually my wife's aunt) does this - she lets the leaves die back
after flowering then strips off the dead stuff and puts them in the bottom
of an airing cupboard for darkness and gentle warmth to over winter, then
she brings them out with a single feed of Baby Bio in March and waters them
sparingly until (I think) June, at which point she stops watering.

Apparently the plants panic, thinking they are going to die, and throw up a
good head of flowers as a final gesture!

She fools 'em the same way every year.

:-)

--
Brian
"Don't be afraid of playing the fool, or of letting go, or of not being
dignified, or of not being pretty, or of not being conventional, or of
thinking that someone will laugh"

Mike Zanker wrote:
Hello,

has anybody had any luck with getting an Amaryllis to bloom the
following year?

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the secret
to getting it to flower?

I just ignore mine! Once it has flowered, I water it if I remember until
the leaves die, then dump it on a shelf somewhere. Eventually it starts
growing again, and I deign to water it! It flowers roughly once a year,
and I've had it for at least 5 years!

Neglect definitely seems to work.

Herald

(Must check it to see if it's growing yet)

On 09 Feb 2004 11:09:41 GMT, Mike Zanker
wrote:

~Hello,
~
~has anybody had any luck with getting an Amaryllis to bloom the
~following year?
~
~I was given one for Christmas 2002, cut off the flowers when they
~started to die, cut the stem back after all flowers had died, put it
~outside over summer/autumn until the leaves died down, cut them back
~and put it in the garage for a few weeks until last month and then
~brought it into the house.
~
~Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the secret
~to getting it to flower?
~

long reply!

Give it a chance - some varieties grow leaves to about a foot high
before the bud peeps out. They are not Christmas flowering bulbs -
more like February to April, so you still have time. The Christmas
ones are slightly forced I believe so you may not get one this season
because of that.

My technique is not really different to yours. Water/feed when the
flower scape starts to grow, enjoy while it flowers, then remove the
dead flowers. I leave the stem on till it wrinkles and twists, as it's
green and can produce food for the plant while it's still solid.
I then cut it off, and keep the bulb in a warm light place, feeding
every month or so. Don't let it dry out or sit in water. I don't turn
the pots once the flowers are over - they quite like being in the same
aspect. (While they are flowering, the pots move in and out of the
lounge for display).
I once read that you should get one flower scape for every 4-5 new
leaves it grows over the summer, so encouraging leaves is good. In
about late August/early September I stop watering and shove the pots
somewhere I can forget about them, though often I forget and don't dry
them off till much later! Leave dormant for a couple of months,
inspecting every week or so. Once you see any new growth at all, or
it's January, water well and wait. Hopefully you get a scape or two.
Don't repot them - they hate it! 6" is big enough - if you have to
clean out old crusty compost, do it when they're dormant and have been
for a month, and put them back in dry compost in their old pots, only
watering after Christmas.

I've currently got nine scapes coming on eight bulbs, so I figure it
works! I've never really put them outside - if anything, since I keep
the house ones in the conservatory, they get very hot, humid
conditions in summer, and seem to love it. There are two at work as
well (these are all grown from offsets from a plant I originally got
in 1988!) and they don't do as well in colder air conditioned
temperatures.

jane goes and risks finger blight having a poke at the work ones,
which are still in a cupboard yep, one's got a bud! :-)

Before anyone asks, all bar two are appleblossom. I keep giving them
away but always seem to end up with millions of the things! After 2/3
generations, I'm starting to notice colour differences,too, which is
fascinating as the offsets are supposed to be clones. I've usually got
them in flower from Feb through to April.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

Try http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8529.html

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Mike Zanker wrote in message ...
Hello,

has anybody had any luck with getting an Amaryllis to bloom the
following year?

I was given one for Christmas 2002, cut off the flowers when they
started to die, cut the stem back after all flowers had died, put it
outside over summer/autumn until the leaves died down, cut them back
and put it in the garage for a few weeks until last month and then
brought it into the house.

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the secret
to getting it to flower?

I never let mine die back. just keep watering and feeding them. It was a
tip on a gardening show, so far all of mine are, or have been in flower,
some for their 4th consecutive year.

Mike
www.british-naturism.org.uk

Mike Zanker wrote in message ...
Hello,

has anybody had any luck with getting an Amaryllis to bloom the
following year?

I was given one for Christmas 2002, cut off the flowers when they
started to die, cut the stem back after all flowers had died, put it
outside over summer/autumn until the leaves died down, cut them back
and put it in the garage for a few weeks until last month and then
brought it into the house.

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the secret
to getting it to flower?

I never let mine die back. just keep watering and feeding them. It was a
tip on a gardening show, so far all of mine are, or have been in flower,
some for their 4th consecutive year.

Mike
www.british-naturism.org.uk

Mike Zanker wrote in message ...
Hello,

has anybody had any luck with getting an Amaryllis to bloom the
following year?

I was given one for Christmas 2002, cut off the flowers when they
started to die, cut the stem back after all flowers had died, put it
outside over summer/autumn until the leaves died down, cut them back
and put it in the garage for a few weeks until last month and then
brought it into the house.

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the secret
to getting it to flower?

I never let mine die back. just keep watering and feeding them. It was a
tip on a gardening show, so far all of mine are, or have been in flower,
some for their 4th consecutive year.

Mike
www.british-naturism.org.uk

Mike Zanker wrote in
:

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the
secret to getting it to flower?

Spoke too soon - I noticed a flower bud starting to appear this
morning!

Mike.

Subject: Getting Amaryllis to flower again
From: Mike Zanker
Date: 14/02/2004 16:02 GMT Standard Time
Message-id:

Mike Zanker wrote in
6:

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the
secret to getting it to flower?

Spoke too soon - I noticed a flower bud starting to appear this
morning!


Sods law of flower growing, the secret to get any flower to bloom, is to
complain it doesn't.
--
Rhiannon
http://www.livejournal.com/users/rhiannon_s/
"The trick is to commit crimes so confusing that police feel too stupid to even
write a crime report about them."
Aubrey on remaining at liberty
www.somethingpositive.net

Subject: Getting Amaryllis to flower again
From: Mike Zanker
Date: 14/02/2004 16:02 GMT Standard Time
Message-id:

Mike Zanker wrote in
6:

Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the
secret to getting it to flower?

Spoke too soon - I noticed a flower bud starting to appear this
morning!


Sods law of flower growing, the secret to get any flower to bloom, is to
complain it doesn't.
--
Rhiannon
http://www.livejournal.com/users/rhiannon_s/
"The trick is to commit crimes so confusing that police feel too stupid to even
write a crime report about them."
Aubrey on remaining at liberty
www.somethingpositive.net

"Rhiannon S" wrote in message
...
Subject: Getting Amaryllis to flower again
prune
Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the
secret to getting it to flower?

Spoke too soon - I noticed a flower bud starting to appear this
morning!


Sods law of flower growing, the secret to get any flower to bloom, is to
complain it doesn't.

In that case: Mine's not blooming either... I've been starng at leaves these
past few weeks... should I just toss it in the bin yet?
(looking sideways hopefully)

bella

In article , Bella
writes

"Rhiannon S" wrote in message
...
Subject: Getting Amaryllis to flower again
prune
Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the
secret to getting it to flower?

Spoke too soon - I noticed a flower bud starting to appear this
morning!


Sods law of flower growing, the secret to get any flower to bloom, is to
complain it doesn't.

In that case: Mine's not blooming either... I've been starng at leaves these
past few weeks... should I just toss it in the bin yet?

Even if it doesn't flower this year, it may do next year. Don't toss it.
Whatever others say, I still think you should feed it, using a rose or
tomato fertiliser to encourage flowers more than leaves. But the bulb
should be firm and should get larger year to year.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article , Bella
writes

"Rhiannon S" wrote in message
...
Subject: Getting Amaryllis to flower again
prune
Unfortunately, all it wants to do is produce leaves. What's the
secret to getting it to flower?

Spoke too soon - I noticed a flower bud starting to appear this
morning!


Sods law of flower growing, the secret to get any flower to bloom, is to
complain it doesn't.

In that case: Mine's not blooming either... I've been starng at leaves these
past few weeks... should I just toss it in the bin yet?

Even if it doesn't flower this year, it may do next year. Don't toss it.
Whatever others say, I still think you should feed it, using a rose or
tomato fertiliser to encourage flowers more than leaves. But the bulb
should be firm and should get larger year to year.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm