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sallyb423

Amaryllis blossoms broke off - now what?

SallyB423
13 years ago

I got an Amaryllis plant for Christmas that just bloomed, but I guess the blossoms were just heavy enough to where it broke off. I planted it in the soil thinking that might save the blossoms, but not being experienced with this plant, I don't know what to do or what to expect. Will it blossom again, or will this kill the plant? How do I handle this? Please help! I really want to keep this plant alive and going because it is so beautiful and I'd also like to learn more about care and feeding of this beautiful plant. Thanks!

Comments (25)

  • cindeea
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Put the stalk in a vase with water, take a deep breath, read up on amaryllis care on this forum and your bulb should live and bloom for many years if the bulb is properly tended to.

  • e36yellowm3
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sally, don't ya just hate it when that happens? Same thing happened to me yesterday... a gust of gravity and snap! - the whole scape broke right off. I did just what Cindee suggested and put it in a vase with some greens I had. Many folks do grow these for cut flowers (including our own Noni) so it'll be just fine. Treat it right and you'll get another bloom or perhaps several next year. Good luck! Alana
    {{gwi:376549}}From 2010/2011 season

  • haxuan
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Actually, Sally, this is what I got from Cindee's and e36yellowm3's idea:

    - put the broken stalk in a vase with water, just like you would with a flower, for display. The blooming stalk could last a few more days;

    - plant the bulb in a pot with good potting mix and take care of it properly. The bulb might grow and re-bloom for many years to come. (I must further read as many notes on this forum as possible on how to plant & care for a bulb after blooming.)

    Hope that helps you.

    Xuan

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OH...an extra hint on the extending the life of your "cut" amaryllis....turn the stem upside down and fill the hollow stem with water. THEN...put your finger over the end to trap the water inside the stem and lower it into the vase. If you give the vase/stem fresh water every 3-4 days, you can really extend the life of your blooms. I've taken blooms to ripe seed pods that way!
    Good luck!
    Kristi

  • cindeea
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    WOW beautiful Floral Arrangement, Alana!
    Great advice everyone...however...I wonder if SallyB423 even heard us....

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Alana, That must be your beautiful Cherry Nymph that broke...aren't the flowers huge and gorgeous! Made a wonderful arrangement! At least, that's what it looks like to me....

    Donna

  • e36yellowm3
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Cindee and Donna! Yes, that's one of the scapes on my Cherry Nymph. It was strange because I had it staked up and it suddenly started growing too aggressively / quickly toward the sun, and snapped right off at the stake ring. That sure is one heavy bloom, but it's gorgeous! And still lasting in the vase too. I needed a little red to perk up those Christmas tree bottom boughs anyway though.

    Alana

  • sslaysey_hotmail_com
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have three amaryllis bulbs. I repotted them together. Let them in the dark after they dropped their blossoms last year. Watered infrequently.....bulbs have dried up so I peeled off the dead layers. What did I do wrong? I had a third of the bulb above the soil. Can I save them?

  • joshy46013
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sheri,

    Did you let them grow leaves after the blooming was finished? Mine actively grow from Feb - Late Nov. Early Dec. At that point they cease to grow, some drop leaves and some don't.

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh Sheri, You've been a very bad girl..You always have to let an amaryllis grow leaves for months and months after the flowers fade..they need lots of light and lots of sun and sufficient water just enough so they don't rot...

    I don't know without looking at them whether they are salvageable.. but give it a try..at this point you've got nothing to loose..Good Luck..

    Donna

  • aacor11
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kristi

    How did you care for your cut scapes? I try my best right now with a scape I received from my husband and after 10 days it has reduced to half (20 cm) and the seed pod is only 1 cm wide.

    Do I have to put it under lights? I added to the water 3% sugar and some chlorine to keep the water clean... though in half a day it becomes blurred. Should I change it right away when it blurrs?

    silly questions I know... but

    Thank you!

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Alexandra,

    I wouldn't add anything....are you filling the scape with water and putting your finger over the end to prevent the bubble. Too much bleach and you're doomed! JUST USE PLAIN WATER and change it every 3 days.

    Some scapes are just programmed to fail...and if it does, welcome to our club!!
    K

  • parodise
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hello everyone,
    I have a question about scapes that are done blooming: do I cut them at the base or do I leave everything as is and let them wither naturally? Does leaving them in any way emaciate the bulb? Why I'm asking is I stumbled across a comment somewhere that not removing the scapes lets the nutrients(?) in the scape be somehow used and recycled by the bulb so they don't go wasted. I did remove the seedpods, though, so I have now 2 huge flowerless/seedless scapes sticking out of the bulb, they are still perfectly fresh as I removed the old flowers/pods just a couple of days ago. The bulb is actively sprouting new leaves.
    Thank you.

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Parodise,

    Personally, I think it is a matter of choice. If you've got an established bulb (one with roots) then I don't see any harm in cutting the stem if it's a matter of aesthetics.
    On the other hand if you have a new bulb with little or no rooting it might be wise to let the stem whither naturally, as they say, so say that any nutrients present in the stem will transfer back to the bulb itself. Personally I don't think it makes that much difference but it certainly does make the bulb look better for the few weeks it may take for the stem to whither. There are different opinions on this. Most often I just cut the stem after the seedpods (if any) have ripened. or sometimes I cut the stem in half so it doesn't look so obvious that a dead stem has been left on. The choice is yours!

    Donna

  • parodise
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Donna, thanks a lot for your help! This bulb I'm talking about is one I purchased recently and it's sitting in coconut coir, basically all under the surface in a small pot. My gut tells me it's not really a big bulb and it has just seen 2 huge scapes ( 4 flowers on each) through blooming. I have to go easy on watering and fertilizing as the medium tends to retain water for too long and I'm not sure what the root situation is like. So, judging by what I guessed and what you said, the stash of nutrients in the stems might come in handy... I guess I'll just leave them on for the time being.
    BTW, below is the flower of that bulb. Does anyone have any idea what the hybrid name might be? It's really rather deep dark red. Bought it at a local florist's, not a supermarket, and the tag had a really dark, "Carmen"-like flower in the picture...
    Thanks again!

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    H. Benfica?
    Mine looked darker in real life, but reds are hard to capture.
    K {{gwi:376551}}

  • parodise
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think you might be right. I googled it and this gardenweb's pic is the exact same flower as mine, even the notch on the petal is same as what my second scape's flowers had, the darker stripe pattern is also identical!!!

    http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0323405213964.html

    Yours is a gorgeous color - certainly much darker than mine, but very close to what I saw in my plant's tag!
    Do you have any idea if growing conditions, i.e. light/soil/fertilizer/temperature can affect the color of the blooms?
    Thank you so much!
    Lena

  • dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lena,

    Your flower is very beautiful! But!! I would repot this bulb immediately. The bulb should not be covered in wet coir of all things..it will rot! And I'll bet it's in a plastic pot too?? You can mix the coir with perlite and sand or some other potting soil that will drain and dry out. Only bury the bulb an inch or so in the soil. Coir stays much too wet and the bulb should be more or less sitting on top of the soil at the very least and you must have a drainage hole. You don't want to loose your beautiful bulb to rot...

    Donna

  • parodise
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Donna,
    I thought exactly the same... But I'm afraid to touch the bulb while the second scape is finishing blooming... I realize I'm walking on eggshells here and am extra careful not to overwater - choose only spells with a few sunny and warm days in a row for watering. You are right - the pot is plastic and small and I have the scapes leaning against the window - otherwise the plant would topple... I did remove the upper layer of coir to open the bulb a bit. So far so good... As soon as the last flowers wither I will repot it.

    Lena

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lena, yes, light and temperature conditions do impact the color of a bloom. This particular bulb bloomed here in Texas in early April, which tends to be cool but not cold with good springtime light.
    K

  • parodise
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kaboehm,
    you give me hope for the next year! I will need to give my bulb the best conditions possible and help it reestablish its natural biological cycle so it gets much more sun when it blooms and, hopefully, turns out darker next time around. Might take another year, though, before I see any new blooms...

    Lena

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lena,
    Sometimes you get better blooms after the first blooming cycle. The bulb will have settled in and give you it's best. A few years ago we had a pretty cold winter. My bulbs spend the winter in a greenhouse, where the temperature never (hopefully) gets below 45F. That next spring, the colors were very vivid...absolutely spectacular. Many of us felt that the colder winter may have played a role.
    K

  • parodise
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kaboehm,
    do you think a particular ratio of NPK in the fertilizer can affect the intensity of the bloom colors?
    Lena

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lena,
    Maybe, but I've never experimented. I'd guess optimal fertilizer + optimal growing conditions = optimal color.
    K

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