Newbie Amaryllis grower here. I have a bulb that's been growing outside all summer. The leaves have been drooping for at least a month, but are still fully green. A new growth tip (start of new bloom stalk?) has appeared at the top of the bulb recently but isn't doing anything (not that I expected it to yet).

Early this morning, some seriously gusty wind blew it off the plant stand. I'm wondering whether to repot it, or to just call it done for the summer and cut the leaves back and get it drying out for its winter dormancy. What would you do?

Hi Rose: Welcome to our Amaryllis forum. Its mid September, so its time to prepare the bulb for its winter dormancy, if you are trying to get it to bloom in the winter. Remember, if it was a new bulb last winter, it may take a year or two before it will bloom again, since the bulb has to fully recover from its nursery forcing. Take the pot out of the sun and stop watering it, so the leaves finish dying back. You can put it in a place that won't freeze this winter, either in the pot or knock it out of the pot. After 8-10 weeks of dormancy repot it and put it on a sunny windowsill and let it put up new leaves and perhaps flower again. Increasing day length, temperature and moisture tell the bulb that it is Spring and time to bloom again.

Thanks Barbara. I had made the decision to put it into dormancy before you responded. The bulb had basically been un-potted by being knocked off the stand (and off the porch!), so I just finished the job and it's currently sitting on some newspaper drying out. Then I will put it in the closet for a while, and see what happens!

I dont think when is that important.
HOW is very important. Just make sure you let the vegetation dry completely. It's hard to do if you're weather is still warm and it gets any direct sunlight. Any green at the center will rot out your bulb, so be careful to dry it. If you have somewhere that wont get any rain or sun, a garrage, a shed.. and remove anything soggy..

Turbosaurus said:I dont think when is that important.
HOW is very important. Just make sure you let the vegetation dry completely. It's hard to do if you're weather is still warm and it gets any direct sunlight. Any green at the center will rot out your bulb, so be careful to dry it. If you have somewhere that wont get any rain or sun, a garrage, a shed.. and remove anything soggy..

Thanks, good to know. I have the bulb indoors, in a corner where it's out of the line of sunlight from the windows. Two of the leaves have already turned yellow. It does have a little damage on one side, probably from the fall. I hope it can heal from that. It also really doesn't seem to have grown at all since the winter. I'm wondering if it needed a bit larger pot and/or more water and fertilizer than I was giving it. I don't have high expectations for it to bloom this winter, but as long as it survives and puts out more leaves, I'll keep trying to baby it along!