If you want them to bloom at said time, let them go into dormancy now.

Ryan,I have not watered the bulbs for over a month and the leaves are still green. How do I bring it into dormancy? I'm afraid I'll damage the root system if I dig it out.

Thanks. H.

Move the un-watered pots to a cool, dark place... like the garage or basement. Tip the pots on their sides so you don't to forget to NOT water, and allow them their 8 weeks of dormancy.

After the dormancy period, clean up the dead leaves and bring them back into the light and warmth, and water them once again. Within 6-8 weeks, you should see new growth.

What Jodik said...

I had the same question last year because my bulbs wanted to keep growing despite no water for weeks which turned into months. So I grew them like a house plant and they still bloomed on time. However, this year, they're going into the garage. Lights out kids!

jodic, the Amaryllis are not in a pot, but in a raised be in the Greenhouse. I need this spot for my cymbidiums this winter, so the A. will have to go. Since the bulbs have grown quite large, the root system has to be extensive.
Any tips on how best to take up and pot them?

I just lifted a couple of Sprekelia bulbs and stuffed them into smaller pots... some of the roots were not the best, so I did a little trimming. I think that once you lift your bulbs and clean all the soil off the root systems, you may end up with less than you think. Nipping off a few roots shouldn't hurt the bulbs at all.

If you have them growing in a raised bed, you could just lift them, clean them off, and let them dry out for a time... then store them for their dormancy, out of pot.

Or, you could pot each one individually, trimming a few roots to get them in the pots, if need be.

I think if I were you, I'd lift and dry them out a bit, then store them in a cool, dark place for their dormancy... out of pot. Potting them now could encourage more growth, which you don't want.

Hippeastrums are fairly forgiving bulbs... I'm sure they'll be fine, whichever way you decide to go.

Thank you jodic.

You did mean to keep the leaves on until they die by themselves after taking the bulbs out of the ground. Yes? I'll do just that.

Very much appreciate your time and advise.

Helga.

Yes... I'd just allow the leaves to die back naturally... although, I suppose you could cut them back a bit if you wanted... I don't think it makes a huge difference. I've never really heard or read about cutting them, though. Usually, people just withhold water, place the bulbs in a cool dark location, with plenty of air circulation if they're not potted, and allow them their dormant period.

Some people wrap them loosely in newspaper, or use some other method of keeping them stored properly, so moisture is not a problem... I don't usually store my bulbs, so I'm not really sure what the best method would be.

Since the beginning, when I got my very first bulb, I've treated them all like regular houseplants... feeding and watering and making sure they have plenty of light... re-potting every couple of years, or when needed. This is the first year I'm thinking about giving some a dormant period, and it's really only because I'm low on space! I'm thinking of rotating the crop, so to speak, so I have room for my growing collection!

I think if you're careful with them, and maybe dust them with an anti-fungal powder before storing, you'll have no problems to speak of... they should be fine. You can always do a search here in the forum using the keywords "dormancy" or something similar. You should find lots of good information.

YES, DORMENT PERIOD IS THE BEST TIME TO RE-PLANT. HANS recomends cutting of leaves from neck, to prevent dehydration.

Hmm. Different opinions. Anyhow, I like the idea of not cutting - at least for a while. Seems such a drastic measure to behead a perfectly fresh, green bulb.

My thanks to all, especially jodick, who stuck with me on this.

I'm more than happy to help a fellow bulb lover! I must say, though, that if Hans recommends cutting the leaves, then that might be the best way to go... Hans is quite experienced and knowledgeable, and grows beautiful Hippeastrums!

The only bulbs I've had that have been leafless by way of having them cut, have been the bulbs I've purchased. When you think about it, though, it makes perfect sense... plants do lose moisture through their leaves. The commercial growers harvest the bulbs, and then cut the leaves before storing them in coolers for their dormancy. From what I gather, they cut them for reasons of space and to keep fungi at a minimum... and if Hans says it helps prevent dehydration, then I do believe it does.

I certainly don't want to steer you wrong! I would say that if you're planning on storing them without being potted, cut the leaves. I know it seems drastic, but it won't hurt the bulb.

I was going by what I've read for potted bulbs... and I don't believe I've read that leaves are cut prior to dormancy... usually, you'd clean up the dead leaves after bringing them out of the dark.

My bad! I don't know where my head was at! Forgive me! There are so many ways to grow these bulbs... I'm getting old, and I get confused! LOL! :-)

Getting old ?
Jodik, how old?
I cut the leaves when transplanting during dormancy period only.
In growing season I transplant with root ball and leaves. Removing the soil from roots or cutting them along with leaves is rather stressful to the plant and has given me bad results.

In actual years, I'm not that old... just pushing 49... but if you add up all the trauma I've been through, and factor in my disease, I'm much older! At least, that's how I feel! If you notice, I sometimes repeat myself... and there are blocks of memory I can't access, short term memory is hit or miss... it seems to be getting worse as times passes.

I have Lupus, and was an accident victim a few years ago... the main results of the accident were severe head and back trauma. My memory is very patchy, and I have mini-seizures occasionally. I forget things very easily, and must write everything down! I'm very happy to have the forum here for reference!

And don't forget... I have three grandchildren! I'm a Grandma! The oldest, Abby, is almost three years old already! It seems like only yesterday, I was holding her as an infant... and here she is running around, talking up a storm, getting into everything!

Old? Not in regular human years... but definitely old in other respects! My blonde comes in a bottle, and hides a lot of gray! LOL!

I started pulling mine out of their soil a few weeks ago.

BTW, I'm 50! Spine arthritis SUCKS!

Any kind of bone, joint or muscle ailment sucks... and it always seems to get worse as winter gets closer! I dread the cold weather every year! And I dread getting older... as I age, my disease and injuries seem to get worse, little by little... but, I have my beautiful bulbs to keep me occupied over winter, and that helps a lot!

Tomorrow, or I should say, today... I'll be potting up all my little seedlings, getting them ready to come indoors for the winter... and I'll be spraying for the second time with insecticide, so my other tender plants can come indoors.

I've been moving rather slowly lately, so I'm a little behind on everything that needs to get done before cold weather sets in! While I'm ordering new bulbs this season, I should put in an order for a new body, too! One that's younger would be nice!