What now?

I started some Amaryllis from seed in the spring and they have been doing fine all summer. Do I bring them inside now and let them keep growing through the winter? They are about 6 inches tall now.

What you do depends a bit in how you have them potted up - if the pot is small they may need repotting. They may go dormant, they may not. In my Father's glasshouse, seedlings would often skip their first winter dormancy but there is no real guarantee they will keep growing in the colder months. It would help if you could post a picture so we can see what their current situation is like.

I have several one gallon pots like this.

OK, they look good to me. In those pots I'd be inclined to let them stay put until the spring. Have a careful feel about in the soil at the base of the plant. The bulbs should be between a half inch and an inch in diameter. As long as the seedlings are actively growing, continue as you have been. If the leaves start to shrivel or turn yellow stop watering the pots completely. If all the leaves die off, you can store them anywhere that it is dark dry and cool but not cold. They wont take freezing temperatures in that state but the mass of soil will insulate them from everything else. If the leaves stay green and healthy you have a slightly different scenario. The temperature requirements are the same, but you will have to water them just often enough to keep the leaves happy - maybe once every two to four weeks. Also they will need day light. A dry area on a back veranda or porch is ideal. Best of luck, KK.

Must be serendipity! I was about to ask the same question. My seedlings (First time effort for me) are in 2 and 3 inch pots and seem to be growing faster now than in the summer. They are on bottom shelf in GH. I had the same question about dormancy and re-potting--when to pot up. Is the advice the same for mine?

Thanks,

Bill

Forgot the pic!!

Oh those look good, well done Bill. Check the drainage holes for the roots coming out, thats a sign the plant wants to go up a size. The general advice still applies re dormancy etc. I get to leave mine outside year round, rain and all but our winters here are pretty mild by your standards and even so I have had the occasional bulb rot or loose its roots. Rule of thumb for these guys - the colder it is the dryer you need to keep them to avoid root rot. If they do go dormant, I'd be repotting them when the first leaves show after their dormancy breaks that will give them the best leg up into the new growing season. I wish some of the guys with climates closer to yours would jump in and give you two a bit more help, as I can only say what my plants have done and we get no snow and almost no overnight frost where I live. TTFN, KK.

Thanks Kaelkitty--I greatly appreciate the time and effort you give to us novices! Even the 2" pots are not showing roots in the drain holes so as long as they look happy I'll not molest them--Thanks again.

Bill

Most people here grow them in the ground all year and they survive fine. They dieback in the winter and resprout in the spring. I just assumed mine were too young to go into the ground. Hopefully I can plant them next spring?