Hello all! It has been a bit since I have been on, and I have missed a bunch! I am in need of some help with this rather large Amaryllis bulb that I have received from a friends mother who past away. He has no idea how old, or when last bloomed.....the pot it is in is disintegrating and I would like to repot it....It has leaves that are about 2ft long and is somewhat early to repot in my area...any suggestions? I don't want to hurt it, for his mother obviously gave it so much love. I am guessing it is prob at least 8-10 years old.
Zinnia, such amaryllis (you mean... Hippeastrum?) bulbs are very tough. IF in a small pot, it will probably have more roots than dirt. When you lift it up, you won't disturb it much. You can easily put it in another pot. Yes, not too big. As they like it tight. Just don't plant it too deep.
Hi Zinnia, Disturb the roots as little as possible by leaving it alone until the fall after you put it into dormancy or by moving it to a pot that is the same size so you don't have to add any soil. During the summer months, the Amaryllis rebuilds its bulb by growing leaves and absorbing as much direct sunlight as possible. Poor light during summer will mean no flowers later. Keep the soil evenly moist and fertilizer it regularly until mid-September. Then, stop watering completely, move it to a cool, dry, dim location and let the leaves wither and die. CUt them off after they have died. The bulb needs about 8 weeks of complete dormancy in order to bloom. Toward the end of November, put your Amaryllis in a new, tight pot and thoroughly soak the rootball in the sink just once. If it has received enough light during the spring and summer and if it received proper 8-week dormancy, then that single watering should trigger a flower stem. If you get only leaves, then it probably did not get enough light during the summer. Resume normal watering after a flower stem emerges. Good luck! ~Will Creed
