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Amaryllis bulb with no roots - please help!

Xen.Xen. Posts: 81
in Problem solving
The bulb isn't growing (of course :S  )  - but I'd like to save it if I can - any advice would be really appreciated :)
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Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Is it an indoor one (Hippeastrum)? If so, has it already grown and died back? If so there may be a chance that it'll grow again when planted, in due course https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/hippeastrum/growing-guide . If it was bought last year but kept dry and never planted, I wouldn't hold out much hope.
    On the other hand if it's an outdoor one, Amaryllis belladonna, get it planted pronto and it should (fingers crossed) flower in late summer/autumn https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/amaryllis-belladonna/ .
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Xen.Xen. Posts: 81
    Thankyou for your reply!

    It is an indoor one - but (along with some others I have) it has been kept in the conservatory and watered - with fertiliser- ever since it flowered.  Something has caused the roots to die off, and the base/root  plate, although not rotten, is not doing anything helpful. No visible bugs, and I just want it to recover!
    :)

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I think we need to see a photo …

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





  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    In that case, I suppose all you can do is make sure it doesn't get too wet so the basal plate doesn't rot, and hope for the best. Maybe repot in fresh compost in case there's something in there that's eaten the roots (seems unlikely as your others are OK).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Why did you water it with fertiliser? Indoor ones only flower once per year . If the roots have rotted off ,you’ve killed it . They like to be on the dry side in any case ,maybe put it in some dry compost and put it away in the dark ……..I put mine in a wardrobe in the spare bedroom till about October . Then bring it into the light and have a look . If it is still firm water it a bit ,no fertiliser, if it begins to sprout your in business .
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    Amaryllis bulbs will rot if you water it regularly when it doesn't have any leaves, speaking from my experience. It needs to be kept dry and you start watering it sparingly, only when you see fresh shoots/flower bud.
    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 :)

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    The problem is, as others have said, watering it when dormant. Let them dry out and only start to water, when a shoot appears.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Xen.Xen. Posts: 81
    Thanks for all the replies; I have always adhered to Geoffrey Smith's  advice - never let the amaryllis bulbs dry out, and give them fertiliser at every watering.  The bulbs don't actually go into a dormant state, and shouldn't be allowed to. Sorry no-one else ever saw Geoffrey's talk about this.

  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited May 2023
    We need more information.  A lot more.  A photo might do.

    You sound as if you have done this before.  You may know more than us.  If the bulb is sound, maybe it's just the roots that have died and more will grow back.  Just maybe.

    Read this from Google:
    What do you do with an amaryllis bulb after it has bloomed?
    After the flowers fade, cut off the flower stalk with a sharp knife or pruners. Make the cut 1 to 2 inches above the bulb. Don't damage the foliage. In order for the bulb to bloom again next season, the plant must replenish its depleted food reserves.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • Xen.Xen. Posts: 81
    Yes, bédé, I have done this before - many times, over many years;  that's why I'm having such a problem coping with this bulb!  I've got quite a lot of them, and they thrive - but this one hasn't  :S
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