Amaryllis Update

July 12th

Given the unseasonably HOT start to the summer, my Amaryllis plant is starting to turn already. Usually this starts to happen around August/Sept - so, we'll see how much energy has been returned to the bulb.

Here is my previous post regarding the care of your Amaryllis.

July 17th

July 19th

The time when the plant expires, is when each blade of the Amaryllis foliage will begin to wither and wilt as you can see.  Allow them to completely wilt, so that the leaf can come easily free from the bulb.

July 23rd

Continue to water the Amaryllis still at this stage, but only to keep the bulb from drying out.

It takes a week or two for all the leaves to wither back.

Once all the leaves have withered, remove the bulb from the pot and gently tease the soil away from the roots. Keep as many of the roots as you can.





As you can see, there is a small leaf emerging from the bulb top. It looks familiar, doesn't it? Many amaryllis bulbs look this way in the fall when they are available to purchase. Not to worry, that just means the bulb wants to start off fresh again.







Right now, I am placing the bulb back into the empty pot (composted the used soil) and I will place it in my cool, dark laundry room for 2 weeks or so. I will keep an eye on it throughout the next weeks. Once the roots go limp and brittle, I will remove as many as I can without damaging the bulb. Once I've tidied up the bulb (don't leave too much debris, or mold may develop), I will place it in a bowl of vermiculite to keep it dry. Keeping it in a cool dark place until early November, when I plan to start the process all over again!

Hope yours stores well. What other medium do you store your bulbs in?

Here is my post on how to start the process all over again. Enjoy!