Expert: Tom Alonzo - 9/23/2007

Question
I have about 10 amaryllis bulbs that that I transplanted in the outdoor garden in the Spring after they had bloomed. After a summer of vigorous growth, I dug these up and need to store them inside.  I have had other bulbs rot in the past and want to know if it would be appropriate to store these bulbs in e.g., vermiculite, perlite or peat moss (sphagnum or other?) to prevent rotting.

Thanks,
Joe

Answer
Hi Joe,
thanx for your question.  I keep my amaryllis in a long planter and I never remove them.  I just set the planter outdoors in the summertime.  When it is time to bring them back indoors, I put them in my non-freezing basement and leave them in the dark with no water until it is time for them to come upstairs into the warmth to stimulate blooming.  Once they have bloomed, they wait indoors until it is warm enough to put them outside.  The key is, I do not water them while they are dormant.  By keeping them in a cool (non-freezing) dry, dark basement, they seem to do well and I have never had a problem with rotting.  If you are going to plant the bulbs in the garden outdoors, when you lift the bulbs for the fall, make sure you brush as much of the dirt off as possible without bruising the bulb.  Do not clean it with water, this will ensure rot or partial decay.  Store the bulbs in some dry hay or dry dirt and leave them in the corner of a non-freezing, dry, dark place until you are ready to replant them.  They'll be fine.  I hope this helps.
Tom