By Pee
Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
I have been nursing my amaryllis for about 4 weeks now. It has about 8 leaves all more than 2ft tall but no flower spike. Do I give up on it?
Asked from the GoYpedia
amaryllis page
- 26 Nov, 2011
Answers
Tried it last year and it did exactly the same so it's been dormant in the greenhouse, repotted and tried again this year but just the same result. Any suggestions? Should I just buy another and hope for a better show?
26 Nov, 2011
You could certainly buy another as well,but don't give up on this one. Feed it fortnightly with a high potash feed to encourage flower formation for next year. Give it a complete rest dry through the summer and start watering again in late autumn, or earlier if it starts into growth while still dry. I wouldn't repot it again as they dislike disturbance.
26 Nov, 2011
Leaves 2 feet long in 4 weeks? Sounds like it's not getting enough light. Even if you improve the lighting now, it may need a year or two to recover before it can bloom again.
26 Nov, 2011
I have one that also does the same, it produces babies instead, now I have 5 bulbs, I refuse to give up, I pop it outside during the summer, it grows its leaves twice a year, then I allow it to die down again, I have had to repot mine today and this time I have separated them 3 in one pot and 2 in another, hoping I might get a flower eventually, I follow the instructions given on the Amaryllis site to the letter, my original bulb is now 4yrs old and is a gorgeous red one if it ever flowers again I`ll be ecstatic, lol...
26 Nov, 2011
I'm obviously very clever at growing the leaves - not for lack of light Tugbfrethil, it's been beside a window since bringing in from the greenhouse!! I think I'll opt for buying another but as you suggest Steragram I'll keep trying with this one. I'm not one to be defeated!! Thanks for your suggestions everyone :-)
27 Nov, 2011
The thing to remember about light indoors, is that the light spreads in a fan from the window: a spot in front of the window could be very well lit, while a spot 2 feet over, beside the window, is actually pretty dim. Because the human eye adjusts to different lighting conditions, appearance is a poor indicator of actual light intensity.
2 Dec, 2011
Yes, I take your point Tugbrethil. I now have another problem - the leaves are turning yellow. Do I keep watering (which I have been doing spareingly, and only when the top soil is dry) or let it die down again now? Should I try repotting? I am at a loss :-(
4 Dec, 2011
Amaryllis like to be crowded, so I wouldn't repot unless the bulb is within an inch of the side of the pot. Sparing water may be the cause of the yellow leaves, especially if it is in a cool spot. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, since this is the time of year when their wild ancestors go dormant, and mature the flower buds. Maybe you will get flowers this spring.
6 Dec, 2011
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I don't know, need more info - is it one you've grown before and have repotted and started up again? Or is it a new one?
26 Nov, 2011