Hippeastrum (amaryllis)

My two plants have now finished flowering . I would like to keep them and hopefully flower in the future. What do I do?

Cut off the dead flower stalk/s & allow the foliage to gradually die down. Then store the bulbs in their pots on their sides say under the greenhouse staging until next Autumn when repot into fresh compost & water to resume growth. This works in UK & better if greenhouse is frost-free, otherwise a cool, spare bedroom would be just as good.

It seems a bit early for them to have finished flowering, but I suppose it depends on when they were started off.

I know I kept one going for several yrs this way until some type of wasp decided to lay eggs in it over the summer- ugh- when the next generation started to emerge, J.

Hi John I've just planted my first ever one of these today and am really looking forward to watching it grow and hopefully flower. I found this when looking for info on looking after it and it explains what to do to keep it so it will flower again http://www.amaryllis.com/pac.htm 

Sorry, Jo, but I disagree. John should cut off the flower, including any seeds, but leave the stem. he should then put the plant in a light place and feed and water it until next October, when the leaves should be cut back and the bulb kept dry and cool for about 10 weeks before being watered and placed in a warm area again to bring it back into growth and flower. Following this method, I have about a dozen plants, the oldest of which is over 15 years old.

your right!

Dont apologise Alina.

I never thought to keep the stem in situe, but did feed mine, usually once, & move the plant pot into a cooler spot in the house until it started to die back properly. Then it went into the greenhouse as I said. J.

As with so many things in gardening, there is more than one way of doing things, so more than one answer!

I remember visiting bulb expert Rupert Bowlby once and being reminded that Hippeastrum are actually an evergreen bulbous plant, so can be kept in leaf all year round. With this in mind it's best to keep them growing strongly through summer. Grow in good light, and keep watering and feeding.

Bulbs then need a cool period to help iniate new flowers inside the bulb.

I've just checked teh web link given by Norm2 above:

http://www.amaryllis.com/pac.htm

and teh advice here looks pretty good.

Thanks very much guys. With luck and some tender loving care I hope to beat ALINAs 15 years ( I should live that long) I was given two bulbs and told to put them in a cool room .I put them in a north facing bedroom with little light and little heat. They started to grow in two days and grew about 100cm a day . Flowered at7 days . One had 3 blooms and no leaves, the other 2 blooms and 3 leaves. They were kept in the lounge during flowering which I now realise was a big mistake as they only lasted about two weeks.We wanted to appreciate them and could not get the pleasure if they were left in spare bedroom.