Avant Gardner: Amaryllis is easy to grow and blooms last

  • By Kyle Valentini
  • November 12, 2012
  • 337
                        
Summary: Amaryllis is a favorite holiday flower and that can be just what the gardener needs to keep the green thumb happy this winter. There is still time to have beautiful blooms for Christmas if you start growing the showy amaryllis bulb now. In shades of red, pink, salmon, yellow, white and even striped varieties reminiscent of candy canes, the tender bulbs are easy to grow indoors and take very little effort. This time of year pre-planted growing kits are marketed as Christmas gifts. While they are practical the price is inflated and purchasing your own bulbs to plant will save you a considerable amount of money, not to mention you can choose the pot the bulb will grow in. Amaryllis is native to South America and the botanical name Hippeastrum, used to mean horse star to a group of people that no longer exist. A good rule to remember about amaryllis is the bigger the bulb the bigger the bloom. Some blooms reach six inches and are stunning in holiday displays. I’m not sure how to say stunning in Latin. Plant your amaryllis bulb in a pot that is one to two inches larger in diameter than the base of the bulb. Make sure the pot you use has drainage holes in the bottom. Clay pots allow the bulb to breathe and are preferred because they dry out more efficiently than the lowly plastic pot. Plant the bulb in a well-drained potting mix or soilless seed starting mix you have purchased or use one part to two parts potting soil to one part perlite or vermiculite. You might also add a bit of peat moss or compost to the mix. It is important to repot old bulbs in fresh potting soil each year. Plant bulbs so that one-half to two-thirds of the bulb is above the soil line. After planting, water the bulb thoroughly and put it in a bright, cool room. Keep it away from direct sun as well as cold drafts. Water only when the soil has been allowed to dry out. Watering too often can cause the roots or bulb to rot. Be especially careful not to overwater especially if you are using plastic pots. As the roots begin to develop and fill the container, the soil will dry out more quickly and you'll need to water more often. Once top growth begins, move the pot to a sunny window where curious pets can’t get to it. If your pet eats it, it won’t kill them but it can cause serious gastrointestinal distress and that is never a good thing. Flowers should appear about four weeks after planting. Rotate the plant every day or so to prevent it from leaning toward the light too much. If the plant gets too top heavy, you'll have to support it with a stake. To extend the amaryllis flower's life, remove the long pollen-bearing stamens inside the flower with tweezers as they develop. The flower can last up to a month. Keep your amaryllis in a bright location such as a sunny south or west window and keep the soil moist. Fertilize it once a month with a complete houseplant fertilizer. Allow the amaryllis to keep growing actively for a while in order to build up food reserves in the bulb for next year's flowers. Wash the soil from the roots and place it in a cool, dark place like a basement floor where it will shock and surprise anyone that doesn’t know what it is. Allow the leaves to dry naturally. This starts a resting or dormant stage that the bulb needs in order to flower again.


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