amaryllis

Hello!
I got a lovely amaryllis for christmas which has just finished flowering. I was wondering, is there anything I can do to keep it and to have it flower again next year? What should I do? Can anybody advise me, please.

 

They once gave me an amaryllis for a present many years ago, which is now in Italy (I do move things about...) and keeps on flowering like mad and nothing has been done to it.

 

If you cut down the flower stem once the flower is finished, and carry on watering and feeding for a couple of months, then let it dry out and forget about it - then start waking it up again with water, then water and feed around October, with a bit of luck you'll get yours flowering for Christmas. Mine unfortunately hadn't read the same book as me, and are flowering at the moment :rolleyes:

 

Mine are just showing flower buds now, I think its a more natural time for them to flower.
Christmas is too early really. (Its a bit like those forced hyacinths, they are OK because its a dull time of the year and they brightnen up the place, but the later ones are usually better). The stems get long and leggy with the bad light, around that time of the year, so I tend to go for a late spring flowering by keeping them cool and dry all the winter.
Personally I keep watering from March to September/October time then dry them off.

 

My amaryllis is in flower right now. I bought it as one of those gift sets in a pound shop and it's been a reet good'n ever since! In fact, it's had several babbies and they're now flowering as well but all still tucked up in the same pot - though not, I hasten to add - the original!