I woud maybe just put them in some dirt so that the perennial roots do not dry out. Once that happens you need to take more care in getting them growing again since they can rot before they issue new roots. I've imported many Hippeastrum and they come sans roots....care is required at first. If you maintain your roots then it is trivial. If they get no water I do not think they will try to grow very much before you want them to. This has been my experience storing them after importing, but mine can stay where it is slightly cooler than yours.....my garage is closer to 50 this time of year :o) Dan

Everything that is needed in order to bloom this year is contained within those bulbs, They will bloom, sooner or later, with or without roots or water or dirt/medium.
Just go through Wal-Mart or other retailer stores that sell them pre-boxed (later in the season) and you can see the bulbs putting out their scapes, and, some even reach the point of blooming, right there in the boxes.
Only one thing you can do to delay the bloom time, "Chill" the bulbs to slow their progression to bloom time.
Best way to do that is the ole refridge crisper, keep vegetables out (produces toxic gas to Hipps). I'm sure the amount of light/dark plays a part but, for sure, the temp is the prominent factor in controlling the timing of the bloom, and then, there is a time limit to that.

Hi again, I personally find that refrigerators are bad for all bulbs if you are storing them for a long time. Refrigerators are very good at reducing humidity and dessicating bulbs. I learned this the hard way and would never advise anyone to store any bulb that has any meaning to them in a refrigerator for any length of time....I'm talking more than a month. Yes, the bulb will bloom sitting on your table, but without roots they are more prone to rot if you water normally since there are no roots to take up the water. They of course are rain forest plants and can take monsoons, so water is not an issue if it has roots, but if it does not then you need to be more cautious in my experience. I import thousands from overseas without roots and I'm just refelcting on my experience, although I do not grow hybrids if I can avod it so they may be much hardier. The same holds true for Crinum species that I import from places like India and South Africa....once they have roots they can take anything, but ypu should be cautious until they develop their roots the first time. Atleast this has been my experience in zone 6 where temps also play a large role. Best of luck :o) Dan

I'm wondering if cold is ever a good thing for amaryllis - even outdoors? I know that caladium will die if put in the refrigerator or left outdoors when the temp drops below 50. Will amaryllis survive/thrive in cold? The temp alone in a frig wouldn't kill them? (I thought they were a tropical bulb.(?))

I experienced so considerable differences in blooming performance dependent on the storage conditions of bulbs.

From best to worst:
pre-year bulbs in pots, undisturbed, stored at 9-17°C.
pre-year bulbs in pots, 9-17°C, removed and replanted prior to forcing
pre-year bulbs removed and stored in peat, 9-17°C
pre-year and freshly bought bulbs with dried roots, 9-17°Celsius
...
Bulbs with dry roots kept a prolonged time at >17°Celsius.
And: Bulbs without roots (very poor performance, dependent on the cultivar)

I do not agree that blooming of knight star lily is undifferentially regarded as binary event only (yes/no)

I want to encourage everyone seriously interested in the subject to access knowledge of the massive spectacle what an amaryllis bulb bears hidden inside - only to be evoked by carefull husbandry, understanding that an entity of untouched roots is essential for full maximal performance.

So at least everything practible should be done to save the deplorable poor remainder of a previous root entity which is attached to a marketed hippeastrum bulb.
SO:
Plant your freshly bought bulbs IMMEDIATELY.
In CoCo fiber substrate, just a little bit moist (the correct degree of moisture being obtained by compressing aliquots with your fists thus removing the excessive amount. Store the pots at 9 to 13°Celsius - and keep the substrate just moist - most preferably from below (taking into consideration that no one will believe me *ggg* - but the water administration from below is another darling subject of mine *ggg* - not today.

Hans-Werner

wow what a great post back in 2005 from our friend in Germany and no one has previously commented on it in 8 years. folks in the USA are probably confused with the references to aliquot and ggg (well Celsius too but we can look it up)