Why isn't my Amaryllis flowering

[TinyMouseTheatre]

It's got some absolutely lovely glossy green foliage but no sign of a flower bud yet.

What am I doing wrong?

For bulbs that bloomed in previous years, try placing them in a cool (7-10C) and dark room for 8-10 weeks. Then bring them into light and warmth and water…they have had their dormant period and the when back into the light, they often come back, grow the spike and rebloom. If you put them in dark and cold in September, bring them out in November or so, you’ll have them for Christmas.

I usually let the foliage die back and then put them in a paper bag in my shed from about April and then bring them out in November. Have had a couple rebloom but some of the bulbs were quite shrivelled and didn’t do much. I’m wondering if it would be better to plant the bulbs in my garden in the spring to get some leaves and fatten and then put them dormant in the autumn?
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You could try it. As you indicated, it would allow the leaves to photosynthesise to fatten the bulb. I wish I lived in zones 9 and 10 sometimes, because the bulbs can be year round outside!

Last year, for the first time ever, I had one (from tesco) that didn't flower.
This year, ive got 2 flower stalks from one bulb.

Going to try keeping them this year. Never knew you could do that. I always compost them when the leaves whither. Never made the leap to that's what daffs and other bulbs do..... doh!

I got one from a sale in Woolworths, which closed in 2009. I felt sorry for it because it was sprouting out of its box.
It has been amazing and flowered at least once every year since. I just keep it in the same place on a windowsill and give it a little bit of water once a week. After it flowers, I let the stem and leaves die back and only remove them when they are so shrivelled that they drop off. 🌺

My mum lives in a tropical climate and her amaryllis, outside all year, flowered once or twice. Think she might need to let them go dormant if they’re to flower again.

Wow, can you imagine having amaryllis blooming outside. Your mum is lucky. S

I've had reasonable luck with the cool room/dark treatment for dormancy. Not all of them will flower again, but maybe 75% will and that is better than getting a new one each year.

Just FYI, There is an outfit called Gardening Express that sells the bulbs in late December cheaply ..I put 6 or 7 in a large pot on the windowsill and have a show for a long time. I don't know if they still have stock, but the bulbs are reliable (and no, no affiliation...I tried it last year because the price was cheap and took a chance...really pleased)

They’re prime slug bait so I wouldn’t.

If you’re in the UK you’re always going to have a challenge if you try to have a growing season from November to April as the light levels aren’t high enough

I grow mine over the summer to take advantage of the light levels, but in the greenhouse to avoid the slugs

Happy to report that bulb is still firm but still no flowers.

Planted one for my DAunt last week and it has a flower stem already. Not feeling envious at all

Believe me, I have considered the slugs after the slugstruction of last year!
I think I may keep them indoors until spring and then put them outside in their pots until the autumn- still risk slug attack but perhaps easier to control.

Definitely second this.

I have 2 bulbs that have only produced leaves, and 3 with the sprout and stem which form into the flower. I bought the 5 bulbs from the same supplier. I grew them in exactly the same conditions, planted in early Dec.

Meredint, I recall you mentioning that Amaryllis tend to flower first then produce leaves. 2 of mine have done the reverse!

the one on the left has sprouted round the edge of the pot - curiouser and curiouser!

Here are the other 2 which have been on top form and were romping away after 4 weeks.

Red Lion is just about to burst forth!

Well you post a thread about yours not flowering and here you come with your photos of your truly glorious flowers.

You're not making me feel any better you know

@BeAzureAnt - a nice man at the garden centre who is the Amaryllis buyer tells me that the South Africans are currently breeding Amaryllis which will cope with the UK climate! We'll be able to plant them in the garden and leave them there all year!

I bought a very anaemic specimen from the fadden centre - they had a whole batch which grew in their boxes. The poor thing was pale and had a nasty bend in its stem. But it greened up and flowered beautifully. I was given a bulb for Christmas and it's currently extremely tall with a huge flower bud so I might get flowers this week.

The Amaryllis Man also told me that if the head looks too heavy to use a plant support as that will stop the stem breaking. (I have them for some of my gladioli so on hand if needed!)

Following.

@daisychain01 You mentioned in your post that 1 pot has little shoots growing up the side. I've had similar and it turned out to be a bulbette- a little baby bulb. Yours might be the same? I don't know at what size you can detach them from the mother bulb, but I'm very excited to be breeding 😆

I was going to say the same - the bulb has divided to produce a new small bulb, like daffodils do - they’re the same family.

It wasn't a stealth boast honest, it was to show the difference to the other two, that were planted at the same time and under the same conditions

Now thats really is exciting. It'll be my PFB amaryllis haha

Ill keep you posted

Just wanted to update.

Still no flowers.

My little update

No flowers either

What goin' on?

You didn't but your bulb from some lovely Dutch men at the Tatton Flower show by any chance?

I posted 3 weeks ago, pics of 2 pots I have. All bulbs planted in the same soil, same day and live on the same window. As you can see 1 is continuing to produce glossy leaves and not a hint of a bud. The other, is coming into bloom 🤗

Well, it won’t be your fault if newly bought, flowers would have been laid down last year