Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Indoor gardens fall winter 2013, #2, 1 by CatMint20906

CatMint20906 wrote:
I have a question about my Amaryllis Flamenco Queen. The first bloom is fading now, but other blooms are on the way--one stem is quite tall now, and another baby one is starting. In MoBot it says "Regardless of growing cycle, bulbs need (1) a period of recovery and rejuvenation after bloom when flowers are removed but foliage is left intact and watering is continued, albeit reduced and (2) a subsequent period of dormancy (at least 2 months) before starting the bloom cycle over."

So my question is, when do I start this period of dormancy, recovery, and rejuvenation, since the bulb is sending up stems for new blooms already? Does it reach a point where it stops sending them up? Also, what do I do with the bulb during its dormancy? Do I actually remove it from the pot, or just let it stay in the pot while it 'rests'? Do I need to do something to force the dormancy, or does it just happen naturally?

Final question: are my blooms faded enough to remove, or should I leave them on till they fade more? Sorry for such simple questions--it's my first amaryllis bulb!!

Have others started growing their amaryllis bulbs from Jill's bulb buy yet? My other two bulbs are beginning to grow now, too, but the Flamenco Queen really took off.