Amaryllis and Hippeastrums: Best way to store bulbs over the summer, 1 by bsharf

bsharf wrote:
I'd just leave the leaves alone, Let them die back when they are ready. If they do die back from the move, they will often put up a second set of leaves. The soil that you have in your garden is fine, the main thing is to get the roots back into dirt as soon as possible, and give them some slow release fertilizer. Afternoon sun might be too intense for the uprooted bulbs, but give the pots morning sun, so the leaves can produce some sugar for the bulbs. Amaryllis survive as long as the bulbs don't freeze solid, or sit in reallly wet soil. The blooms for next year are produced inside the bulbs this summer, so don't be disappointed if they don't bloom next year, from the stress of being uprooted, stored and replanted this year. Once they are in a permanent spot that they like, the blooms will come back. FYI never cut the leaves back on Amaryllis after they bloom. The leaves produce the food for the bulb, which is growing, producing bulblets, and future flowers. In Florida, Amaryllis will keep their leaves through most of the year, only dying back after a freeze, which could be anywhere from Dec to Feb. In warmer areas, they sometimes will die back at the end of "winter" before producing new leaves and flowers. The amaryllis in this photo were planted on the north side (2 hrs of sun) of an empty and foreclosed house on my street. Since I have a soft spot in my heart for Amaryllis, I was very upset at the decline in this neglected group of bulbs over the six years I lived here. In April 2010, I dug up half the clump, and moved them to the west side of my house. In the photo, you can see the result of only one full year of sun and fertilizer. The remaining Amaryllis at the empty house did not produce any blooms and only scattered leaves this year, so they are definately on their way out. I feel good that I was able to preserve the genetic lineage of this group of bulbs.