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First, know
that Amaryllis bulbs do NOT naturally require a
dormant period - i.e.. a forced rest
over winter without light and water where the
bulbs are stored at cool
temperatures.
These plants do grow
year 'round in their native habitats. Some may
require a resting period in the dryer cooler
"winters" during which time growth slows down,
but that is not the same as
dormancy.
Basically, continue to
provide your Amaryllis with bright light over
the winter months and continue to water it on a
reduce watering schedule, allowing it to dry
out just a bit in between waterings. Some
plants may not produce any new leaves, while
others may lose some of their lower
leaves.
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Forcing
Dormancy
Reduce watering and let all leaves die back
about 16 weeks before you wish to have blooms.
Remove all leaves, and then
place the bulb in a dark closet,
storage room, or basement where
temperatures remain about 55 degrees and
the air is dry (you don't want the bulbs
to rot). After about 8 weeks, you can
water the bulb once and move it into
warmer brighter conditions to break
dormancy. Keep the bulb just moist until
new growth appears. It will take another
8-10 weeks for the bulb to flower. This
is not an exact science, so allow a week
or two on either side for
error. See Stage 1 Amaryllis
care for more information on bulb
care. Forced dormancy can stress the
plants so do not repeat this every year
with the same plant
You can also wait until the
bulbs naturally emerge from dormancy,
rather than forcing them. This may be
useful strategy if you do not have enough
windowsills to 'house' your amaryllis
plants over winter. Let the plants
die back in late November, or whenever
temperatures dip to about 55
degrees at night. Then store the
bulb as described above, and wait for it
to natually break dormancy, usually in
the spring. Follow Stage 1 Amaryllis
care.
NOTE: There are some
amaryllis species and hybrids that should
NOT be allowed to go dormant, such as
Amaryllis papilio and its
hybrids.
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