Hi!

There is a very good message at the top of all the messages, the Frequently Asked Questions, having to do with everything that you could possibly need to know about amaryllis.

You don't indicate what zone you live in, so let me offer this basic advice:
Give your bulb good light. Let it dry out between waterings (don't let it stay dry too long). Make sure it has good drainage as the bulbs will rot. Provide it will a good fertilizer every now and then (many of use use half-strength MiracleGro).

After it blooms, you can place it outside and leave it there until the weather turns cooler. Protect it from freezing temperatures and it should do well for you. You might be able to plant it in the ground, depending on where you live.

Again, read the FAQ and you should get lots of good info. Also, you can search this forum for keywords.

Kristi

Thank you! I was not aware of the FAQ so that is helpful (new to the site)...On a side note, I decided to peak at my roots.....I fear I have little hope for this plant, I see blue mold everywhere ( I tried to dust it off so you can't see too much mold in the picture, but initially it was a lot worse!) I'm now dealing with a very sick amaryllis :( I'm going to have to do some research, I'm hoping they are resilient and can come back from this!

A question I do have now is that I have peeled back the brown dried up edges of the bulb and have exposed the living layers around the bulb, however at the very bottom it is still brown/moldy and I feel like I cannot keep peeling or I will not have any of the layers left around the bulb. I apologize with my very incorrect terminology, I am very new to this! Do I keep pulling them off? Or leave them on even if it is brown/ moldy, since I may have to peel off all the layers!

I think I live in zone 8.

This post was edited by nmd15 on Tue, May 13, 14 at 17:21

If I were you I would cut off the scape, put it in a vase and at least enjoy the flowers. It appears from your picture that you have more than mold, it looks like you have rot. The roots are all desiccated, they may have come like that and just haven't had the energy to grow new ones.

You can dig out all the rot with a spoon until you reach clean flesh and dust with Captan or cinnamon should work too and then let it dry for several days before sitting it on top of some soil to see if it will root. Sometimes you can conquer rot but you will have to play nursemaid to this poor bulb but if you just don't feel like it then (I know some people won't agree with me) I would just toss it and try again another year. It's a shame when your first experience with these lovely bulbs is a bad one, so try again this fall.;-)

Good luck with whatever you try and just remember this is just one opinion.

Donna

Thank you Donna for the advice! Yeah, I just got this yesterday for my birthday but I'm guessing it sat in a store and was waiting to be sold for Mother's Day only to be tossed out once it bloomed. I am a huge newbie when it comes to plants, but somehow I keep acquiring sick plants and currently in the process of trying to nurse a severely root rotted phalaenopsis (so far it's hanging in there, I even got an air root growing and 2 new leaves!) I am debating on if I want to go through it all again, it oddly stresses me out haha. But thank you for walking me through the process, greatly appreciated :)

One more thing you might try is if you try to save the bulb and after cutting the rot away and letting the wounds dry completely, is that you plant it in the ground directly for the summer. That way if it dies you can blame it on Mother Nature and you can know you at least tried. Planting these amaryllis directly in the ground ( a healthy bulb at least) is the best thing you can do for them as they have all room in the world for their roots. If it's successful then in the fall you can lift the bulb out of the ground and then contact us at the forum and we'll tell you what to do with it next! :-)...Donna

...or, if you live in Zone 8, just leave it in the ground and mulch it with leaves for protection. They you won't have to do anything but enjoy the blooms in April!
;-)
Kristi

I live in an apartment, but I'm tempted to just plant it in the ground in front of my balcony, hopefully there are no bulb stealers out there hahah. Thank you for all the help :) I'll be back to the forums if it ends up surviving this all!

Oh...not a great idea. If it does well, it will likely disappear. Just get a 1-gallon pot, some soil with good drainage, and give it your best shot!!
Good luck!!
K