Amaryllis Summer Care? Roots,Leaves,Growth

Hi,
I have 3 large Amaryllis bulbs that I've only had since Dec 2010 and want to keep them going for next year...but...

1. I've noticed that as I've had them outside that the roots are starting to climb out of the pot, almost like a Dendrobium...I've never seen that before and haven't been able to find any information regarding whether or not this is normal. My first thoughts were to just let it be as I've been told they prefer to be pot bound, and I don't think that they pots are too small yet. Is this normal?

2. I also had a problem with the 2ft tall leaves drooping and then subsequently breaking off. I left them attached as long as I could to keep them feeding the bulb. Sure enough, 2 weeks later, I have new sets of leaves on all of the plants but they're "different".

The leaves look healthy, but two plants have developed red coloring on the edges of the leaves and one plant has an almost "yellow-brown" edge. It doesn't appear to be harming the plant and it's receiving the exact same amount of water and sun as the others. Can anyone tell me what this might be?

3. Since my bulbs have lost their leaves and had to put out new ones, does this mean I probably won't get a flower this winter? I am thinking that the excess energy in producing the leaves will deplete the bulb's energy a bit? Any thoughts?

The photo is of the flower this past winter...gorgeous!

Thanks for any thoughts and advice!

Soft, watery, lenghty, instable, pale leaves that had grown under insufficient light conditions indoors, tend to collapse and prematurely die off when plants are moved outdoors, iow exposed too unfiltered sunlight. Provided that new leaf growth comes forth, this will not have a detrimental effect onto the bulbs. The new leaves that develop under unfiltered light DO look rather different from the previous indoors' leaves, they are shorter, broader, and can be conspicuously pigmented. The kind of color (bordeaux red to brown), degree, and the pattern of pigmentation are strongly dependent on the cultivar.

Thanks so much Haweha, you're explanation makes so much sense. I did not think that the leaves were pale when inside, but I did move them from a bright, filtered window to wide open sun...common sense should have told me that it was too shocking for them. Now that I see the new leaves, they are definitely much darker and thicker. I guess I've never seen Amaryllis leaves that had outside sun exposure.

I'm so happy to know that I should get more flowers this year. Much appreciated!

i was a good boi this yr and after my bulbs flowered..i put them in a south facing real sunny window..
come june i left in same pots and put them out in direct light..
wow.. both are sending up flowers again!!! yea...
also the leaves stayed really nice green..firm..
one bulb has grown over summer..i wasnt expecting that..but again.yea..
i watered them when i watered rest of the plants.. they were sitting on spot where they
drained really well..never dried out..but never sat in water...
also gave same fertilizer as i gave my tropicals.. 20:5:30
mixed with my rabbit manure tea..

Tropicalnut777- WOW! I need to get some rabbit poo! My guys stayed outside all summer like I was told to do and they sent up all kinds of new leaves. Tall, upright and healthy! So, I was very happy with the advice I got from Haweha...but then Montana got confused and summer ran too long :-O We have had the warmest and sunniest Fall that I have seen here in years. So, now I have a new problem. I kept forgetting to bring them in and finally remembered about a week ago- they have been getting rained on and tons of sun up until late Oct and look amazing. But, no flowers- you lucky guy! Anyway, I have these giant green stalks that are not even close to dying or drying out yet. Hmmm. Should I chop them before I starve and hide them for the winter? I am afraid of mold or something.

I am afraid that because I let them grow for so long that I won't get flowers this winter.

What do you think? Chop and hide or just put them in the dark while fully green?

1)NEVER into the dark w/ leaves on. Green leaves either produce or consume. W/out light - don't you already know WHAT they will do, rhetorically asking?!

2)You WILL obtain flowers, although they will emerge later than Christmas: When you store mature bulbs at lower temperature, perfectly 55Fahrenheit =13deg Celsius, then you can consider it "law" that you will obtain flower scapes after a while. This rest period is all the shorter, the later you had begun storage. I keep some seedlings that I perceive "close to maturity" until Christmas if not January on the warm windowsill, then store, the leaves cut, in the cold room of my basement. IN the pot, but strictly withholding water.

Haweha- thanks for setting me straight! I know, I know, it was a dumb question :-) I think the reason that I was a bit confused is because everything I've read talks about letting the stalks die back before storage. Forgive me, my brain seems to be in shock from the sudden drops in temp here.

Thanks again for your expertise!

geninisgreen.. i put my bulbs in protected area south facing next to the house..
i'll be cutting the leaves soon..then bring in..let rest..then mid winter start watering again..and
im sure i'll get blooms again.. YEA !!!
my bulbs were doing same..i have roots comming out of gal pot reminded me of orchid roots too..
thats a good sign though..a good root system !!!!
when im ready to get bulb going again..i give 1st couple waterings mix of kelp/fulvic powder..
seems to refresh the bulbs roots..and get bulb started up..
good luck to ya !!!!