- Red blotch disease appears as reddish brown spots on the amaryllis bulb, or as red and yellow streaks on the plant's leaves.
- An amaryllis infected with red blotch usually withers away before it produces any flowers. Often the amaryllis' 2-foot-stalk will bend over or even snap in two.
- Inspect amaryllis bulbs before planting and destroy any that bear the tell-tale reddish brown spots. Plant healthy bulbs in sterilized potting soil to prevent the fungus from attacking your plant.
- To fight red blotch fungus there are fungicides available, such as thiophanate methyl, but horticulturalists at the University of Florida, who have studied the red blotch problem report that such fungicides are "expensive and hard to find."
- A traditional method for fighting red blotch is to dig up the amaryllis, wipe the bulb clean, then plunge it in a hot water bath of 104 to 114 degrees F. Keep the bulbs in the bath for 30 minutes to kill the fungus.
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