Amaryllis bulbs - time to stop?

I read that it's time to stop watering my Amaryllis bulbs. As soon as the foliage dies back, I should remove the bulb from the soil, and place it in a paper bag, and put it in a cool locatin for a couple months. Does that sound right, or does anyone have special tips/tricks to ensure they'll bloom on schedule for the holidays?

hopefully this sites can explain better than i can ... http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8529.html , http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/Horticulture/g188.htm

Ok, I had this same question and it took me forever to find this. Part 4 of the first Hyperlink says this:

Part 4 -- Reflowering of the Bulb
If the bulb has retained its original bulb size or if it has gained in size, it can be reflowered. The key is to place the bulb at a temperature of 55 oF for a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks. This can be accomplished either by withholding water and then placing the bulb in a cool storage area or, preferably, by placing the plant in a cool (55 oF) growing location for this length of time. It is not necessary for the plant to go dormant! Once the plant has received 8 to 10 weeks of 55 F, follow the growing instructions described in Part 2 of this leaflet.

How am I supposed to keep these bulbs at 55 degrees? My fridge is at 40 degrees and I don't think it's a good idea to bring up the temp. At best, I can keep them in a dark closet at room temp, which would be about 74 in the summertime.

Anybody?
TIA Sherri

Sherri, I'm not familiar with the housing types in Oklahoma, but if you have a basement that doesn't get too 'moist' in the summer, that may work. Even when it hits 100 degrees outside, my parents' basement remains in the 60's.

Lori

i have 2 never bloomed did that kept papere sack in winter, well one has is but its only about 10 in.. maybe 12 in. tall 2 looms other never has grown any yet...

My experience is that you don't have to apply a dormant period. You can treat them as houseplants all year round, but you can't control the bloom time. I do find that it helps to slow down watering when you want them to rebloom, but you don't have to force total dormancy. I think refrigeration would kill them. Even when dormant I never keep them that cold.

So what you're saying is to repot it instead of letting the roots dry out and let it bloom again in a couple of months, without any ill effects? I have it pulled out of the pot right now with the roots starting to dry, but they are still healthy and somewhat moist. It's been slowly going dormant for about a month now so maybe it's had enough of a rest. I noticed that some people pot in glass, I think I would like to try that. The roots would look pretty cool that way.

It had a baby with one green leaf still so I repotted the baby back into the original 6" pot and watered it to keep it going. The baby isn't going to bloom anyway for two or three years so I figured it wouldn't matter.

Twyla, you might try giving it some plant food. I read somewhere that they need to be fed once or twice a month? Good luck with it.

Thanks everybody,
Sherri

I stop watering mine in summer and start again in late fall. I do not remove from the pot. I did this this year, and they bloomed in their pots in March!! I also transplanted one outside last fall, and it surprisingly came back and bloomed just a couple of weeks ago - outside. And our winter temps can drop into the low teens.

I've heard that if you bury it several inches under, that you can push the zones pretty good, as long as the ground doesn't freeze.

i gave them miracle grow. will some more see if other will grow some bloom. thanks sherri..

Amaryllis bulbs in their native habitat go for months without water.. and then during the rainy period which is Spring come back to life and bloom.

In order to "force" your bulb to bloom for the Christmas holiday remove them carefully from the soil if they are in the ground.. if they are in pots.. leave them in the pot. place them in a dark/dry area that does NOT freeze.. you should be doing this step around the end of August. Don't worry about the dead or drying leaves on the bulb.. they can be cut off easily enough.. just make sure you don't cut too close to the crown of the bulb.

Around the end of October.. bring the potted plant out of dormancy.. if you had bulbs, repot in a mixture that allows good drainage. Start watering VERY sparingly until first signs of growth.. then increase the water.. a nice bright sunny window will be perfect.. don't forget to turn the pot every few days so that the stalk is nice and straight.

After my bulbs bloom every winter I cut the flowering stem off and put it in a bright place until mid to late spring. I then sink the bulb (still in clay pot) into the ground outside where its leaves drink up plenty of sun (as well as fertilize bi-weekly). In early Sept. I bring the bulb and pot inside and let it die back naturally in the basement (dry, dark, appx. 60 degrees). After a couple of months I start watering again. Soon it is reactivated. I've been doing this with a couple of bulbs for years.

I wish I had a basement, I could use it for so many things, but alas, I don't. lol

I'll give it a decent rest period and then decide when to bring it back out. I'm not necessarily interested in forcing it for Christmas, just want it to be healthy. It's already gone dormant, I just wasn't sure if I should let those roots completely dry out. But apparently that's very normal for them, since that's how I got it in the first place. :-)