Question
I rescued my Amaryllis from my apt. complex recycling room, over three years ago. The salmon and pink blossoms were on stalks about a foot high. One blossom was dying, and the other was drooping. I brought it in, probably gave it a little water, and the next morning, the blossom was upright, and produced several more blossoms in sequence. I have chosen to not lay A. down to force blossoms, but to allow the leaves to grow. I also moved it to a larger pot, 9" in diameter, when it got too high.
At the present, I have thirteen leaves, all supported in a vertical framework; nine  are strong and healthy (42"). Two, on the outside are dying - going yellow and losing their water - probably because two new leaves (18") are growing up from the middle. I have some questions, 1) is there anything I can do to save the dying leaves, or propagate them, 2) how can I stop the plant from producing new leaves so often, 3) the plant must be root-bound because when I insert a moisture probe in the very edge of the pot, there is a crunching sound, which is probably the roots being harmed (I use a butter knife now). If it is root-bound, how do I handle this specifically, 4) What are the ramifications of what I am doing? Sorry this is so long, but this worries me. Thank you, Ed Meissner

Answer
Hi Ed,
  Dead, dying or damaged leaves will never heal (and can't be propagated) so they just need to be removed. It is normal for older leaves to turn yellow and die as part of the natural aging process of a plant. Another most common cause leaf failure is overwatering. You do not really need to use a moisture probe. You are correct that sticking the probe (or a butter knife) into the soil can cause damage to the roots. I usually advise against sticking anything, including fertilizer sticks, into the soil near the roots.
As a general rule, allow the top 1 inch of soil to dry a bit between watering, then water just enough for a small amount of water to drain out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.
During the growing and blooming cycle, Amaryllis likes soil that is consistently just moist but not wet. During the dormant cycle it is best to keep the soil mostly dry.

Plants producing new leaves is a good thing. The leaves are the part of the plant that collects and converts sunlight into energy. Once the plant has enough energy stored up it can then produce flowers. More leaves means more energy.
Amaryllis needs a dormant cycle (a resting period) between flowering cycles. Just before a dormant cycle, once enough energy has been stored up, the plant will often shed it's leaves and then use the stored energy in it's bulb to start the growing cycle again once the dormant cycle is over. The leaves continue to collect energy for awhile after the blooming cycle is over (and the flowers are dead) to be stored and used for the next growing cycle.
The only time the leaves really become an issue is when the plant does not enter into a dormant cycle. When this happens, some of the leaves are removed to help force the plant into a dormant cycle.
Amaryllis will not re-bloom without an adequate resting period.

A lot of plants prefer to be a bit rootbound. Many flowering plants will not bloom at all unless they are rootbound.
Unnecessary repotting is also one of the most common reasons for plant failure.
The most common signs a plant needs to be repotted is an almost constant need for water, little or no new growth and sometimes thick roots growing out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot (however it is normal for a few smaller roots to stray out of the drainage holes).
When a plant does need to be repotted, never repot a plant into a pot more than 2 inches bigger than the pot it was in. The soil in a pot that is too big can stay wet too long and cause root rot.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions or need additional information please don't hesitate to ask.
     Thanks
       Tracy