Expert: Long Island Gardener - 11/9/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I purchased my amaryllis bulb last year. After flowering early this year, I
cut off the flower stalk and remain the bulb in the pot, watering about every
week, and kept it indoor near the window during whole summer. Now my
amaryllis has 4 extremely long (each one about 40 in long), health green
leaves, but no sign of a bloom stem. My question is, how I produce the
flowers again this year?  
Thanks.

ANSWER: Very important to make sure your Amaryllis is getting lots of light.  It takes time to build a flower.

Be patient -- and if you must, give it a SMALL dose of any houseplant fertilizer with a high MIDDLE number (NOT Nitrogen, which is the FIRST number -- you want the one in the middle which builds the flowers).

If it slows down and begins to go dormant, let it.  Keep it in the brightest sun you can get for the Winter, and hold off watering, then let it lapse into dormancy, and wait for the revival.  It will most certainly bloom again.  Someday.

Thanks for your question.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for fast answer my question. Maybe I made some confusion there. My extremily long leaves were grown after the amaryllis bulb had flower, during this summer they are just getting longer and stronger, as I read your experts answer other questions, amaryllis need a rest period between flowering.. but my bulb had no singnal of rest yet (no a little brown here and there).. now, I'm stop watering the bulb two weeks ago, and moved it away from window, I really don't know what I should do next.....I'm live in maryland.

Thanks again for your help.

Answer
Let your Amaryllis grow just like any houseplant without flowers -- it just needs more light.  You don't have to trigger a rest period.  It will start winding down on its own.  When it starts to look sleepy, that's when you start limiting moisture.  Give it plenty of light until it's out of commission.  Then store.  Sorry I was unclear on that.  Thanks for your followup.