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Amaryllis disaster

JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
in The potting shed
I came home tonight to find one of our amaryllis plants all over the floor. Seems it just decided to keel over and I now have two very sorry looking stems and a lot of loose soil everywhere. 

They grew extremely quickly and this particular one put out six beautiful flowers in quick succession. Could this simply have been too much top heavy weight for the pot to handle?

I have moved the second one to sit on the floor “just in case”!
Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.

Posts

  • coccinellacoccinella Posts: 1,428
    Sorry about that. Yes, I think it might have been top heavy when the soil is dry. It is painful to find soil and broken vases on the ground. It is like a violation. 
    I found last years' Amaryllis in the basement but it has only grown leaves, so I might have to chuck it. It was from Aldi at 2,50 euros so can't complain really.
    Do enjoy the other one. 

    Luxembourg
  • 2000GTV2000GTV Posts: 112
    I caught one of mine about to do the same even though it was also inside a larger plant pot. I managed to stake it and it has stayed put. My latest three (original ones only have leaves at the moment) were only 3,29 each from Lidl - one has 12 flowers (!), one has eight and the other has four but with another, smaller flowering stem. I ordered more from Farmer Gracy in their final sale, currently awaiting delivery. 

    Jacqui, I hope your second one flowers/is flowering well and coccinella I hope yours produces flowers. 
    Martina Franca, Puglia, southern Italy
    Love living in Italy but a Loiner at heart 
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    I've got a lovely red one I bought from Peter Nyssen about 5 years ago, and it's still going strong.
    But I don't start it off until late January. That way I can give them more light so they don't get stretched out and top heavy.

    Bee x
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    I’ve also been growing them in tall glass jars for a couple of years now - works well and needs no other support 


  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    After flowering, I plant mine in outdoor pots and bring them outside around April/May when the frosts are over. They then flower sometime in July/August.
    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Posts: 1,039
    Love those vases chicky, are yours just in gravel? The ones I bought were in really heavy soil of some kind, as soon as I watered them it went really claggy, not sure but I think it may have contributed to my problem as on closer inspection the roots were very weak.
    Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    They are just in gravel @Jacquimcmahon.  I don’t attempt to get them to flower again next year so they don’t need nutrition.  It’s also easy to see how much water is in there - plus the roots look pretty cool too.  Even more so with the paperwhites.
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