A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Seedling Help

My son and I have germinated our very first amaryllis seed and its name is "Fuzzy". Fuzzy is alive but not sure if he is well. I have had him growing in a small pot for about a month and a half and it looks like a little curved blade of grass. Well on the underside of the leaf near the bottom where it is white in color there is also a redish color that is darker on the bottom and fades away on the top. It looks natural like it suppose to have that little redish color so I haven't been worried too much about that. However recently his pot was crushed and I had to do an emergency transplant into another pot. The root was a single long root that nearly reached the bottom of the old pot, so I gathered up the old soil which I am sure it has become acclimated to and repotted him. Is all well for poor fuzzy? What signs should I look for to know that he is kicking the bucket, will the leaf turn yellow or brown? I plucked a blade of grass and placed it on my desk and it seems to stay green for a while, so Im worried that fuzzy may be dead or dieing and I don't know it because he could stay green for a while, while he may be sick. I know this is lengthy, but any help would be awesome, especially for my son since this is our first plant together.

As long as the leaf is still green, I think that Fuzzy has a chance. Did the root break?

No, or at least I dont think so. There was a very small off shoot of a root right at the base of the leaf and a very long root. Its possible that the small root could have been broken but the longer one was still intact.

I would not give up hope then.

Your probably doing great. The amaryllis will form a bulb first and then it will get to growing more green stuff for you. And then you will have the lovely bloom.

Things to remember about the amaryllis is that it likes to be rootbound, and kept in the sun until it blooms and then it should be moved to partial shade. That way the bloom will last longer. Don't overwater. And because the plant is sooooooo big make sure you weight down the pot so it doesn't tip over.

After it blooms let the leaves die back. Don't prune them. Once they turn brown you can cut them off about 2 inches above the bulb and then store the bulb for 6 to 8 weeks to let it rest and then you can start growing it all over again.

I think it is a great plant for kids.