Houseplants: Amaryllis and Rain Lily

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Leysha Dallas, TX (Zone 8a) October 22, 2009 10:35 AM	I received some Rain Lily seeds and I read they are family members of Amaryllis. What is the proper way and time to sow them? This is my first time growing things on my own and I want to do it right. I only have 20 Rain Lily seeds and I don't want to screw it up. My Amaryllis won't bloom. I received it from my school's greenhouse as a present from my teacher. It bloomed once and then ever since then it wont bloom again. It grows the long leaves and thats it. I follow the three month rule where you ignore it and don't water it for three months and then water it after that but it still doesn't work. I'm also curious about the soil it is in. The soil is so well draining that the water goes straight though it when I water the plant. Generally I give it a few waterings in one sitting because of this. Can I take the bulb out and replace the soil with something more substantial? Or would that be a bad idea? View Larger
Plants4myPots Providence, RI October 22, 2009 12:36 PM	Have you had the Amaryllis for a year yet? My father has a bunch of different kinds, but I think they only really bloom once or maybe twice a year. I just bought my own first Amaryllis Minerva bulb a few days ago. It's being marketed as a fast growing quick bloomer for Christmas. It came with a coir disk (which is finely chopped coconut hair), and I've tried some of Boca Bob's coir as well... it is VERY fast draining when used alone... I think that's why the plastic pot my bulb came with has no holes. The directions on the box said to add 3.5 cups of water to the disk, and it expanded - absorbing all the water. When it's dry, I guess I'm just supposed to remember that the coir can hold 3.5 cups of water - so I don't have to worry about overwatering, or accidentally leaving the plant to drown - even without drainage holes. The coir is used because it can hold an enormous amount of water, and kinda act as a 'time release'. What I do with the my coir potted plants in pots with holes, is when it needs to be watered, I put the pot in a larger bucket of water, or a plugged up sink, and let it sit for about ten minutes so the coir has a chance to absorb the water. Your plant looks healthy, maybe it's getting ready to bloom again for you? How much light does it get? I know my bulb directions say it should get indirect light, but I'm pretty sure it might be the same as some of my dad's plants... and he leaves his out on the pool patio in full sun in Central Florida. It's a screened area, but it's still direct sun, and he had a bumper crop of blooms back in the spring. In your pic, it appears to be near a glass door leading out to a porch - but I can't tell if the sun shines in very much... I'd suggest you leave it in the "soil" it's in... give it some liquid fertilizer in it's next water bath, and maybe let it get a little more sun. Wish I could help more, or at all with your Rain Lily question... but I'm sure someone else will chime in too! Rose
Leysha Dallas, TX (Zone 8a) October 22, 2009 09:04 PM	Well the plant gets plenty of indirect sun for about 6 to 7 hours a day. Those leaves have been there for about 2 months now. I'm not sure if it takes that long to bloom?
cheryljm Oakhurst, CA October 23, 2009 12:08 AM	I have had my Amaryllis for 3 years now and still haven't had any luck getting them to bloom after the first time. But here is a link that might help. http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/amaryllis.html
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY October 23, 2009 08:37 AM	When I had amaryllis, they would start to send the bloom spike as soon as I brought them out of dormancy. They do alright in commercial potting mix (I like to mix in a little perlite). It may have come to you planted in peat moss, which is not really the best thing for it. They do great in full sun (after flowering) to replace the energy that huge flower stalk uses. I don't mean put it in full sun right now, but move it gradually to more light. When they are in dormancy, they like to be a little cooler (55 to 60* F). In the house, I have put them in an unheated closet in a paper bag, in the pot, or in some loose dry peat moss. In my grow room, I put the pot on it's side on the floor under the plant shelves, it doesn't really get water (just humidity), but it is cooler on the floor. If you've grown it since spring, then now is the time to stop watering, and let it go dormant. The leaves will die back but the bulb will be strong and healthy. Give it the rest, and see if it blooms for you after you break dormancy. I am thinking the dormancy should be around 2 months, but I'll go look it up....
Leysha Dallas, TX (Zone 8a) October 23, 2009 10:49 AM	Thank you for the help so far. I'm going to try and plant it up in regular soil and water it just a little before I let it go dormant and see what happens.
glassgardens Mount Vernon, OH October 28, 2009 07:19 AM	You should make your amaryllis go dormant for for 10 to 12 weeks at 50 degrees or lower temperatures (not freezing) and make sure you add some bone meal next late spring when you plant it outdoors or set it outside to keep it strong. Normally if you have no flowers you need a dormacy period for it to flower.
Leysha Dallas, TX (Zone 8a) October 28, 2009 10:37 AM	I gave it the dormancy. Also, when i first got the plant, it bloomed. I think there might be some other problems after some thought. The plant was ready to bloom when I received it from the greenhouse but I was also told that most of them hadn't bloomed for a few years. The bulb is kinda small and when it bloomed for me the one time, the bloom was so big the stalk broke and the plant kept falling over. Maybe the bulb is too small? Is there any way to get the bulb to grow larger before it blooms?
3jsmom31 zone 6a, KY October 28, 2009 12:05 PM	If it bloomed, it is blooming size. The only way the bulb would not be mature enough is if the main bulb died and a bulblet is still growing. You would have noticed, I think. I found this site and it explains it very well. I was typing all this out and then searched to check that the dormancy is 2 months, and found this nicely set up page. If you leave the bulb dormant for too long, the flower stalk will tend to fall over, kind of spindly. I think too short of dormancy will give you too short of a spike. http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/AmaryllisBloom.html
tishrh Mount Vernon, OH October 28, 2009 06:43 PM	Most places recommend 10 weeks of dormancy. There is only 3 reasons i know why an amaryliis won't bloom. ◦No rest period ◦Insufficient light while actively growing ◦Poor nutrients in soil I would get some good pottiing soil and repot it. Soil after awhile does need to be changed sometimes, it loses it nutrients Also do no tpick too big of a pot, they love to be crowded somewhat in a pot. Then get some either bulb fertilizer or liquid fertilizer and start giving it at least once a month or every 2 weeks. Have at least 6-8 hours of sunlight on it. When amaryllis loses it's strength, it will get smaller. Then it has no strength to bloom. Keep fertilizing it til dormancy time next year. Make sure dormancy is more than just no more light. An actual change in temperature is what it needs. hope this helps some.

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