Amaryllis drooping
Quick answer
If your Amaryllis is drooping, the most likely cause is: Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) flower stalks can reach two feet and carry several large trumpet blooms on a hollow scape, so once the spike is in full flower the top of the plant outweighs the bulb and the light peat-based potting mix it is planted in; in a small or lightweight container the whole spike and pot lean, flop, or tip over, with the scape bending under the flower head.
Start here:
- 1. Pot the bulb in a heavy container such as terra-cotta, ceramic, or metal that is only an inch or two wider than the bulb, and weigh the top of the pot down with a half-inch layer of coarse sand on the surface so a heavy, blossom-laden spike cannot topple it.
- 2. Stake the flower spike with a sturdy cane or slim rod pushed into the pot beside the bulb at planting time and loosely tie the scape to the stake as it lengthens, so the developing truss grows straight instead of leaning.
Why Amaryllis is drooping
Hippeastrum
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) flower stalks can reach two feet and carry several large trumpet blooms on a hollow scape, so once the spike is in full flower the top of the plant outweighs the bulb and the light peat-based potting mix it is planted in; in a small or lightweight container the whole spike and pot lean, flop, or tip over, with the scape bending under the flower head.
How to help Amaryllis that is drooping
- 1
Pot the bulb in a heavy container such as terra-cotta, ceramic, or metal that is only an inch or two wider than the bulb, and weigh the top of the pot down with a half-inch layer of coarse sand on the surface so a heavy, blossom-laden spike cannot topple it.
- 2
Stake the flower spike with a sturdy cane or slim rod pushed into the pot beside the bulb at planting time and loosely tie the scape to the stake as it lengthens, so the developing truss grows straight instead of leaning.
- 3
Keep the pot in a bright, cool room below about 70F (21C) so the flower stem stays shorter and stouter rather than stretching tall, floppy, and prone to bend under its own weight.
Keep this Amaryllis from ending up drooping again
Always start amaryllis in a heavy pot one size up from the bulb, set a stake at planting, place the container in bright light with cool nights, and if a forcing bulb begins to lean, repot it into a heavier container or add a top dressing of coarse sand before the spike flops.