Hi. I don't know that there's a right or wrong answer to your many questions! I think you can do what ever you want to do. Some of the bulbs that I've bought that already have been dormant are pushing out a new leaves. Scapes will come whenever they are supposed to. You could leave them dry for the winter, and lose these leaves; however, many new leaves will grow again in the spring, or you could pot them up and grow them as evergreens. I guess it just depends if you have the light and the space. As a treat you should go buy a new bulb so that you'll definitely have blooms for Christmas!
Kristi

but i want to do the right thing! :))))
it just never happened before this way, i kept them bone dry and then they declined and grew in spring...
i thought that leaves would die after i bare-rooted them, just wasn't sure - so you confirmed it. but it's a relief to know that they'll regrow back in spring ok. they're not that big(the leaves) - so i'll loose a 6" and 2" AND 1"...leaves on one bulb, but it's a 4" diameter bulb, pretty strong, so it should be OK then. i will dig up the rest - my light is at the minimum xgiving to march, and i don't have room for lights. so i think that would be the best solution.
i also separated sev 2" diameter babies all with roots. one has 7" leaf. but... it is what it is. thankfully it's just 2 bulbs that are so eager to grow, the rest are ok.
on the bright side....i've BEEN eyeing some new bulbs....so there's smth in that too ;).
but out of curiosity, IF i were to plant them in slightly pre-moistened soil - leaving them in cool temps IN the light vs darkened ...will it effect the growth rate? will the darkness slow them down or they will just get bleached?
the reason i asked - i had a situation last year too: left them in soil, dry, to decline with lots of green leaves in somewhat warmer place at 65F in the dark and some of them (perhaps the same bulb?) threw out a foot long white leaves in the dark! by feb. but i grew them on and i managed to straighten out the leaves and green them too OK.
but i'd rather not repeat it. i had to pot all of them at once by mid-feb. i much prefer to pot up a couple at a time and have a lo-ong bloom time!

Because they got wet....and life isn't perfect....there is no right thing.

If you potted them up, without adequate light, you would likely get weak, floppy leaves. If you had artificial lights to grow them under, that would be different.

At least it's just a couple bulbs and not all,
K

If I understand the situation correctly, there are a few different avenues you could take...

You could pull them from their pots, brush off any excess soil, wrap them loosely in a paper product... like newspaper or brown paper... and store them in a dry, cool, dark area of your home for a forced dormancy... some basements would fit the description... or you could store them in a dedicated refrigerator that didn't get too cold, taking care to keep them away from the walls, perhaps by placing the wrapped bulbs in cardboard shoe boxes. The point is to keep the bulbs cool, dry, and dark... but not freezing. The bulbs must not freeze or they will die. After an appropriate number of weeks, the dormancy can be broken, and the bulbs re-potted and placed in a well lighted, warm area... at which time you'd resume watering.

You could take those bulbs that show fresh growth and bring them inside, placing them in a well lighted window area, and begin treating them as you would any other type of houseplant... watering and feeding as needed... allowing them to grow and bloom on their natural schedule. This "evergreen" treatment normally produces scapes sometime in spring or early summer, and bulbs treated this way tend to slow growth in autumn and rest during winter. You would adjust watering and feeding, slowing down while they rest. (This is how I grow most of my bulbs.)

Or, you could leave them in their pots, let them dry again, and store the pots in a cool, dry, dark space... a space that doesn't freeze... like your garage, or basement... some people tip the pots on their sides so they remember not to water, that those particular plants are in dormancy. Some bulbs will resume growth when they have rested enough, or you can bring them out of dormancy after the appropriate number of weeks have passed.

Information on forcing dormancy should be available within the FAQ posted at the top of this forum... or, you can use google or your favorite search engine to locate any information available through the internet.

I would suggest, however, that bulbs grown in a peat-based, bagged potting soil consisting of a fine particulate be re-potted into fresh medium every year... which allows you to check for dead roots and any other dead plant matter, removing anything that might hinder healthy root growth... it also helps to restore somewhat of a more aerated environment, important for healthy root growth.

The method in which you choose to grow your bulbs is entirely up to you. I find it easier to allow my bulbs to grow, bloom, and rest as they see fit... but forcing dormancy is also an option, depending on when you want to schedule blooming.

Jodi...that's what I meant....there are many options and not of them right or wrong. I'm not sure the OP has decided, but once they do...they will head down that avenue! Basically the bulbs will bloom when they want to, as the "dormancy" wasn't really done correctly (not long enough, etc) to force blooming in December.

I get the idea that the posts from Petrushka are really just some "thinking aloud" ideas. Nothing was really incorrect. They just need to decide what they want to do...grow them as evergreens or go back to dormancy and lose some leaves. Either way the bulbs will be fine!!
Kristi

kristi, it really helped to hear that the bulbs will be fine, especially coming from you.
you're right, i am weighing in my options - to find the optimal for my circumstances. and i like talking about it too ;).
i am in a high-rise with no space in the 50s. and i've been doing this going on 7th year - so it's not like i don't know what to do. reading thru all the archives here certainly helped tremendously. i just wanted to confirm that the bulb will be OK with all the new roots going already. i would prefer dormancy.
but i like to mull over all the 'accidental' details and then SOME with other growers ;).
i've had 'evergreened' amaryllis in good east windows, much better light in winter then what i have now and i was not happy with results even then.
the main reason my bulbs do good is my balcony, without it i won't be growing them. it's NE exposure with sev hours of sun.
i think actually my bulbs can bloom for xmas - they produce flowers within 3 weeks of potting up (with roots pre-soak for 2-3 days) and have multiple stalks with 4-5 buds. so they are strong.
as i said i stopped watering mid-sep and they slowly yellowed, but i still have a leaf or two totally green and good on a few. they decline very slowly for me, almost refuse to go...
and i need to take them down fast to dry up and pack up as it's freezing now and they are indoors.
i don't want them to shoot MORE leaves. i barely see tips on 2 more.
what i am getting out of this is the realization that once a freak soak occurs, it's necessary to pull the soil with roots out, perhaps wrapped loosely in paper to dry it as fast as possible. my pots are tall and plastic - so remain moist for a very long time. that's what did me in! with temps in 50s to 60s new roots had the perfect conditions to shoot out!
and i am a she ;).
this is a pic of 'the worst offender'/champion depending on how you look at it.

They WANT to live Petrushka!! I bet there are 1-2 scapes in there. It sounds like you are just questioning yourself. It will be fine no matter what! Can't wait to see photos of your blooms when they show up!!
ðÂÂÂ
Kristi

oh, it's your reg minerva's, but they bloom steady. only 1 bulb did not bloom once, all the rest - on the clock.
i am pretty sure now i can take on smth a little more exotic and bloom it too ;).
problem is, i like really hard to get stuff. like 'moon scene' and all those stars..ruby/exotic/super. i am sure there's room for just a couple, at least. though i am very crowded, as is.
waiting for the fates to arrange the meeting ;).
and yes, i am always questing/questioning and worrying too about them all. i don't think i can change that, though.
the more i have, the more i worry, unfortunately. and i don't see having less in the future LOL only more!
don't know how you people handle all the collections you have. would drive me MAD!

Oh, I know, Kristi... it sometimes helps if more people think aloud, because you never know what little piece of information might be the ticket. :-)

This will be the first year I'm forced to force dormancy on most of my bulbs, and by reading along and learning how others contend with different situations, I am confident my bulbs will be just fine.

"Minerva" has always been a favorite of mine... they seem to be long lived and genetically strong, from my experience... and they do bloom consistently and right on schedule! And, they're pretty, and not costly. What more could a grower ask for?