Native to Central and South America, amaryllis counts over 80 hybrid species with flowers simple or double, large or average-sized, with varied colors. Planting depends on the season and whether you’re going for pot or ground-growing.
Read also:
December and January are perfect months to plant your amaryllis bulb. Bury it halfway in a pot filled with a mix of soil mix and garden soil, with a layer of sand or clay pebbles to ensure proper drainage at the bottom.
Bulb size, for Amaryllis, determines quantity and height of flower stems. Smaller bulbs will develop one or two stems 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 cm) tall, while larger bulbs will produce up to five stems more than 20 inches (50 cm) tall.
Once the bulb is planted, water just a little bit and place the pot in a sunlit room where the temperature is mild (70 to 75°F (21 to 23°C)), near a radiator eventually.
Your plant will enter its growth phase, and you will quickly (within about two weeks) see one or two green stems shoot out. At their tip, about four to six weeks after planting, amaryllis buds form. From these, two to three flowers with large corollas will bloom.
This spectacular bloom can last over four weeks. If you work to prolong the blooming, it can even reach eight weeks!
Amaryllis follows a predictable sequence once the bulb is in its pot. Use this table to see where your plant is and what it needs next.
| Stage | When | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Planting the bulb | Early to midwinter | Bury it halfway in a mix of soil mix and garden soil, over sand or clay pebbles for drainage; water just a little |
| First green stems | About two weeks after planting | Move the pot away from any concentrated heat source and water more to keep the soil slightly moist |
| Buds form | Four to six weeks after planting | Two to three flowers with large corollas open from each bud |
| Full bloom | Lasts four weeks, up to eight if prolonged | Tie the heavy flowers to stakes, keep watering and add geranium fertiliser |
| Leaves feed the bulb | After the flowers wither | Cut the stem, let the leaves grow on and keep feeding while the bulb stocks up |
| Dormant rest | Three months, once leaves yellow | Stop watering and stand the pot in a dry spot until it bursts back to life |
Once the rest period is over, the same bulb is ready to flower again.
As soon as the stem appears, pull the plant away from any concentrated heat source and water more to keep the soil slightly moist.
Once in full bloom, flowers usually need to be attached to stakes because they are too heavy for their stems. As the flower grows and blooms, keep watering and add geranium fertilizer for your amaryllis to develop harmoniously.
When flowers have withered, cut the stem but let leaves keep growing while the bulb stocks up on nutrients. During this phase, keep adding fertilizer. When leaves start turning yellow and drying up, stop watering and place your plant in a dry spot for three months. This is the time it needs to build up its strength before again bursting to life… and bloom again!
Read also:
I live in the hill country of Texas is may to late to plant bulbs?
Hi Leslie, honestly, it’s rarely too late to plant anything! In this case, Amaryllis will still be able to start and might even flower in fall if the warm season extends a bit. In the worst case, it’ll simply sprout leaves this year, and then wait out the winter underground, and only bloom next year, but I doubt it: you’ll very certainly have flowers this year still.