Time for Holiday Planning
Holiday plants are an important part of the festive season at Rock Cottage. And now is the apropos time to start forcing certain bulbs to brighten rooms during the holidays. In addition to the traditional paper whites that are frequently seen this time of year, Amaryllis is one of the bolder and more colorful choices for winter forcing. It is such an easy plant to grow – and one that produces spectacular blooms. Since it takes the bulbs six to eight weeks to bloom once started, planning bulbs now, and for every two weeks over the next several months, will result in continuous blooms from early December through May.

Every home ought to have at least one Amaryllis over the holidays. The flowers come in many beautiful shades of red, white, pink, salmon, orange, lemon-yellow, and multi-colored variations of pink, red, and white. Look for one called “Apple Blossom”- our favorite!

This is the easiest bulb to force into bloom. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) produces large, (up to six inch blooms) showy flowers. It is extremely popular for this reason and is often given as a gift plant. The bulb itself is tender (suited for outdoors in Zones 9-11), but can be grown in pots in the north. The plant originates from the Andes mountains of South America. In our zone, potted plants are used during winter and can be moved outdoors after the danger of frost has passed.
Amaryllis comes as individually packaged bulbs or may be pre-potted. The pre-planted Amaryllis gift boxes normally take no more initial effort than simply watering them to bring them into bloom. However, we find the additional cost for pre-potted bulbs not very economical and prefer to purchase bare bulbs.

If you purchase bare bulbs, pot them in a container that is about two inches larger in diameter than the base of the bulb – no more. Potted bulbs thrive under conditions in which they are root-bound. Containers may be either clay or plastic, but must have drainage holes in the bottom to permit good soil drainage.

Bulbs must be planted with about one-third to one-half of the bulb exposed above the soil surface. This keeps the bulb’s nose dry, which helps reduce the possibility of fungal disease. The use of sterilized potting mediums containing some peat and perlite is probably the best choice for Amaryllis.

Water the bulb well once potted, but avoid getting any water on the nose of the bulb. Keep the potting medium moist and avoid over-watering the bulb. Keep the bulb in a sunny area with temperatures ranging from about 68-75 degrees F (bright sunlight is essential in preventing the flower stalk from growing too long and flopping over.) Once the plant shows signs of growth, add either a slow-release fertilizer or use a water-soluble fertilizer twice monthly to support the bulb’s rapid growth.

When flower buds appear, move the bulb out of direct sunlight and to a cooler location. This will help prolong bloom time – which can last for a month. When the flowers fade, cut them off at the top of the stalk just above the bulb top. At this point, you need to make the choice of discarding the bulb, or trying to get it to re-bloom.

Discarding the bulb is, of course, easy. If you want to get the bulb to re-bloom, continue watering the bulb normally and fertilize monthly. The secret to successfully getting amaryllis to re-bloom is to keep the plants actively growing after they finish one round of flowers. Place the pot in a sunny window, and keep the plant moist and fertilized over the next months to encourage growth and bulb development. You can continue to grow your Amaryllis indoors all year, or outdoors as soon as the danger of frost has passed in the spring. In spring, you can plant the bulb in the garden and continue cultivating until the leaves begin to yellow in late summer. At this point, cut the leaves back to about two inches from the top of the bulb and remove it from the pot or garden soil. Keep the bulb in a cool (40-50 degrees F) dark place for about eight weeks to provide adequate dormancy. At this point, you can repot the bulbs as before. The bulbs are likely to re-bloom in eight weeks. (Please note that sometimes the bulbs simply send up leaves instead of blooms. If this occurs, repeat the growth cycle again, and the plant is likely to bloom the following season.)

You can contact Lance Brilliantine with any questions or comments at GardenLance@yahoo.com.