Last year you decided to cherish and care for your amaryllis bulb instead of throwing it away. And even though you thought you did a good job, when it actually bloomed you realized that the amaryllis only had leaves. Or maybe this has even been the case for several years? We have listed some of the possible causes and how you can fix the problem. It is usually incorrect care that causes the dead amaryllis to only sprout leaves.
Lack of flowering if there is too much water
Do you have to water the amaryllis a lot or not? The knight's star is a plant that comes from very warm and dry areas. It is naturally used to getting by with little moisture, so you have to maintain this even in our latitudes. It is not without reason that the beautiful flower is not watered during the flowering phase. But quite apart from the fact that the flower bulb is...incorrect careIn this regard, if the plant is watered too much over the long term, it can rot and die. This can also lead to the leaves simply growing further and further, but not a flower bud.
For this reasonwater correctly as follows:
- After planting the tuber, water sparingly in small doses.
- From the hot summer phase onwards, water a little more frequently. The same applies when the bud is in the growth phase (usually around November or December).
- Reduce the frequency of watering from July and stop watering completely from August until the plant awakens from hibernation (mid-November).
Amaryllis only produces leaves when there is a lack of light
The knight's star is a very light-loving plant and if it is too dark for it, it simply cannot produce flowers, but instead only puts its weakened strength into leaf growth, so that the amaryllis only produces leaves. This often leads to the leaves becoming excessively long. In this way, the plant tries to produce more area that can absorb the little vital light that is available.
In this case, reconsider your location. It should be bright and should be able to get one or two rays of sunshine, but without being in full sun, because then it will burn.
A notice:NotCut the leaves of the amaryllis
The fact that the plant uses its strength for its leaves when there is a lack of light should not tempt you to simply cut them off in the hope that the plant will then shift its growth to flowering. On the contrary, they would then prevent a flowering phase, because it is the plant foliage that has the task of enabling the formation of a bud.
The leaves are only cut when they are completely dry(usually longafter floweringand at the beginning of the dormant phase in September), because the nutrients it contains migrate back into the tuber and are later used to grow the flower.
Amaryllis only has leaves, no flowers - is the rest phase not progressing properly?
After the long season, the plant must be able to rest in order to gather strength for the new flowering phase that follows. This rest phase should not be underestimated because it is very important. We have already mentioned that you should not water during these 3 months. In addition, the onion should be stored dark and cool (in its pot) from September onwards. At the end of the dormant phase, repot the onion and start watering sparingly in mid-November. Now the right location is ideally in partial shade and in a bright place (e.g. by the window), with temperatures ideally between 18 and 20 degrees.
Bonus tip for an exceptional flowering phase
Just because the flower wasn't seen in its full glory in time for the actual blooming phase doesn't mean you have to wait until the next phase (let alone give up on it completely). It is actually possible to still produce a flower. How exactly can you do this at the beginning of summerafter flowering?
Overwinter amaryllis and make it bloom again in summer
- Continue to care for the Ritterstern as usual by watering and fertilizing it properly.
- As soon as the temperatures are high enough so that frost is no longer expected, the flower comes into the garden.
- To do this, find a sunny and warm location for the flower without cold drafts.
- Dig a hole in the bed and plant the amaryllis in the pot there, without removing the pot.
- With a bit of luck the bud will soon sprout.
Also read:How to overwinter Amaryllis & get them to bloom again
