Amaryllis are easy to grow and they add brilliant color to the holiday season. Begin by selecting a premium quality bulb. Generally, the
larger the bulb the more stems it will produce and the more flowers per stem.
Once
you’ve selected a bulb, choose a container, one with drainage. Amaryllis bulbs like
to be snug when potted, so select a pot that is just slightly larger than the
bulb.
Amaryllis will grow in plastic pots, however, amaryllis can get
top-heavy, so clay or ceramic help keep the bulb upright while its blooming and
it looks better. Double potting is also an option. Just slip the plastic pot
into a more decorative one, as shown here.
Add enough potting soil to the
bottom of the pot, so that about 1/3 or so of the bulb is exposed. Fill in the
rest of the pot with potting soil,then water thoroughly.
Place the pot in spot
where the temperature stays above 60°. The warmer the temperature, the faster the bulb will
root and bloom.
Check soil moisture and water when the first inch or so is dry.
Generally, you should see flowers in 7-10 weeks. Start fertilizing the bulb
after the first set of leaves appear. Use a water soluble fertilizer designed
for blooming and rooting and feed the bulb every two weeks.
Growing amaryllis in stones and water is easy and you get to
watch the root development. Traditionally, amaryllis bulbs are forced in glass
containers. Select a vase or jar slightly larger than your bulb and add river
rock, marbles, and decorative glass pieces. Trim off any existing roots and
place the bulb on top of the marbles or rock. Amaryllis can get top-heavy when
they bloom, so add some more rock or marbles around the bulb to help keep it in
place. Forcing amaryllis in water takes a lot of energy from the bulb, more so
than forcing in dirt. What that means is
it may take many seasons for the bulb to recover enough to bloom again. Pinch off the flowers after they have bloomed and cut the
flower stalk down to the bulb, once the flowers have faded. At this point, large
bulbs will often send up a second set of flowers. Once the second set of
flowering is done, remove the flower stalk, but leave the foliage in place. The
green leaves of the amaryllis gather food to replenish the bulb.
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