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Sprouting Amaryllis

justflowersjustflowers Posts: 143
in Plants
I have potted up two Amaryllis bulbs in the hope that they will flower again this year.  I've read that I shouldn't start watering them until October, however, both have started to sprout - in fact, one has two leaves 4- 6 inches tall already.  Is it ok to leave them or should I start watering now? I'm not bothered about them flowering for Christmas, I'd just like them to flower at some point!
Many thanks.

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    If they've started to grow I would be guided by them and start watering.  

    I think the 'don't start watering until October' applies to waking them up if they've not started ... if they've started then they've started ... they won't stop ... 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • justflowersjustflowers Posts: 143
    Thanks @Dovefromabove - I'll start watering!
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    If they're outside for now, watch out for snails and slugs
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    I kept a couple of these a few years ago. They seemed to make ,, the decisions about when to start into growth and when to flower and I just followed their lead. They did flower just as well as the first time, so good luck.
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    My two Amaryllis flowered in Mar-May this year. I cut off the stems and kept watering them once a week or so. Currently both still have very lush green leaves with even some young leaves growing. Shall I stop watering them now to force them into dormancy and let the leaves die down? Thanks!
  • RubyRossRubyRoss Posts: 124
    Mine seem unwilling to be guided, but I get a great a great bloom every second year. The foliage never dies down and the plant doesn't seem to go dormant despite efforts to dry it out and cut it back.
  • justflowersjustflowers Posts: 143
    Thank you for all your responses.  I cut off the flower stems following flowering early this year, re-potted and kept indoors until all danger of frost was passed then put them outside.  I stopped watering them at the beginning of August, so the leaves did die back.  Around two weeks ago, I put them in fresh compost with half of the bulb exposed, then brought them inside and put them on a cold windowsill. The new sprouts look healthy, but I suppose the proof will be when or if I get any flowers! I'm not sure whether it's too late to force them into dormancy now @msqingxiao , not sure if I'd risk it - but others may know better than me!

  • lindylou54lindylou54 Posts: 23
    I put mine in the potting shed back in June, didn't water it or anything. Went in there last week to find it had flowered!
  • justflowersjustflowers Posts: 143
    Wow - that's a bonus! We had a similar, but less dramatic, experience having bought a cactus in Barcelona, left it in the car while staying at a different hotel and came back a week later to find it had a fantastic flower - never flowered again sadly.
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