I have had success with these. I have bought huge amaryllis bulbs with the metal attached to the bottom thinking it was just for the Christmas season. I put it in a glass vase with some stones in the bottom just covering the metal base and kept water just above the root line never letting it get low. It bloomed beautifully. After the bloom faded I cut the stalk and the green tops continued to grow. I kept the water just above the roots and in late spring dug a hole in the garden where I plant other amaryllis, watered the hole well and put the big bulb with the green tops in it. It continued to grow that summer and the next year it did bloom. I think keeping it watered until I could get it into the soil and then it having all summer to make bloom energy helped.
