Fresh Christmas Greens and Amaryllis Growing Guides and Tips

PLANT SPOTLIGHT: AMARYLLIS

How to plant, propagate, rebloom, + cut Amaryllis.

What I love most about growing Amaryllis

It’s so sturdy and hardy
Blooms with very little care
Blooms in the dead of winter, when I don’t have any other flowers.
Excellent vase life
Comes in a fabulous range of colors
Reminds you of your Grandma and times when things were simple and slow

Bulb size matters

Bigger bulbs are more expensive, but I always invest in them. The bigger the bulb, the bigger the show. Your one little bulb from the big-box store may produce one flowering stalk with two to three flowers.

The larger specialty bulbs usually produce several flower stalks and can have up to 5 or 6 flowers per stalk.

If your bulbs are smaller, a great way to improve the flower show is to group 3 bulbs together.

Bloom timing depends on the country of origin: southern hemisphere vs. northern Dutch bulbs.

Southern bulbs are ready to bloom, and Holland bulbs are ready to wake up. Southern bulbs are usually labeled as early-blooming. They're most of what you find in stores. Southern bulbs are usually ready to bloom around Christmas, while the Holland Bulbs usually bloom in January.

Growing both types of bulbs is a great way to succession plant your amaryllis and have flowers for longer.

Growing Conditions:

Do amaryllis need a bright sunny window?

The answer is yes and no.

When you get your new bulb, it technically does not need a sunny window. It will grow and bloom just fine. But, the flower stalk tends to grow really tall as it’s reaching for the light. Keep rotating your bulb to keep it from leaning so far it falls over. It’s also really important to stake these.

If you put your new bulb in a sunny window, the stalks will be shorter and stronger. You still need to rotate it regularly.

Once your Amaryllis is about to open, take it from the sunny window and place it anywhere you want in your house. A cooler, darker area will actually make the blooms last longer.

Once your amaryllis is finished blooming, it will need a bright spot. This bright light feeds the leaves just like any house plant, which in turn feeds the bulb, which forms your new flowers for next year.

Fertilizer:

When you get your new bulb, and it first starts growing, it does not need any fertilizer.

That said, I water mine with happy, happy houseplant food every time I water it. If you’re not familiar with Happy Happy Houseplant Food, she recommends using it every time you water. My bulbs have been very happy with this and have been reblooming for years, so I am going to keep doing this.

Three ways to plant your amaryllis

Succession Planting:

If you have multiple bulbs, taking them out of dormancy one at a time can be a fun way to extend the amaryllis season. The key is keeping them in a cool, dark place so they don’t wake up on their own. A cool, dark garage, or even a refrigerator, will keep them from emerging from dormancy. Just monitor the refrigerator humidity; we don’t want to promote disease.

If you take them out every couple of weeks, they will theoretically wake up at different times. Remember, Amaryllis have predictable patterns, but that doesn’t mean they always follow them. They kinda do what they want when they want.

Tips on watering

Amaryllis need about 1/2 cup of water per week, maybe less, but only once it’s actively growing. Just around the edges, not in the neck of the bulb, or it will rot from the inside out.

The 1/2 cup per week is only a suggestion. The best way to know is to put your finger into the soil. If it’s dry two to three inches down, then you need to water. It’s it still moist, just wait another week.

The biggest mistake people make with their amaryllis is overwatering.

Growing Tips

Amaryllis need a bright, warm area to grow. If it won't start growing, you might consider a heat mat or something warm.

Sometimes they put up the bloom stalk first, with no leaves, and sometimes they put up the leaves first, then the blooms. Once the stalk has grown and is about to bloom, put it in a cooler area. That extends the flowers' life.

Amaryllis have long, tall stalks. The big ones also get really big flowers. When all those flowers open, it's very top-heavy, and the stalk can fall over. You can buy special amaryllis stakes, or you can use a stick from outside. It's up to you, but place it close to the stalk, press it deep into the soil, then take a piece of yarn and gently and loosely tie your amaryllis to the stake. This prevents the sad lean over.

The flowers bloom in succession. Each flower takes its turn blooming. They also fade in the same manner. The first one to bloom is the first to fade.

Once the flower has faded, pop them off until it's done blooming. Then cut the stalk right above the neck of the bulb. Keep an eye out for more stalks shooting up.

Treat the leaves as a houseplant until summer. Keep it in a nice, warm, bright location. Keep it watered. As soon as all frost has passed, when you plant your tomatoes, put them outside where they can soak up the sun and feed the bulb so it will bloom again next year. Water and fertilize as you do your other garden plants.

Easy to get to rebloom.

Amaryllis are a one-time investment that you can rebloom year after year.

You don't have to put them into dormancy, but if you want them to rebloom at a specific time, you do. Put them in a cool, dark place, 50 to 55 degrees. Leave them for 2 to 3 months. After that, you bring them in and repot or freshen the potting soil.

Sometimes, as the bulb grows, it might need to be repotted. Remove the papery scales until you see the white of the bulb.

Now water it in and treat it like your brand-new bulb. It will produce new leaves and new blooms.

When you use amaryllis as a cut flower

Cut when they are pretty tight. Cool water takes longer to open, warm water faster.

Remove the pollen anthers. This extends vase life and prevents pollen shedding. Pull the anthers straight away from the head and throw them away.

Amaryllis stems are hollow and sometimes need support. Sometimes they break at the base and then curl back. You can insert a bamboo stake into the base of the amaryllis until it reaches the base of the bloom head. Pour water into the stem. Take a little piece of a cotton ball and put it into the base of the stem. Use clear oasis floral tape to secure the stem end and prevent cracking and curling. Then put it into fresh, clean water.

Some stems last up to three weeks. You're not decreasing the flower show by cutting them. They sometimes even last longer after being cut.

Propagating amaryllis:

You can propagate amaryllis using the babies or the offsets. This is normally done when it's taken right out of dormancy. Remove the entire bulb from the pot. Take all the soil away from the bulb so you can see what you're working with. You should be able to pull the baby or offset right off the mother bulb. Untangle the baby roots from the mother roots. Just like that, you have another free amaryllis.

Diseases:

Amaryllis are susceptible to a fungal disease called red blotch. It's not usually fatal to the bulb but can cause disfiguration and red leaves. It can also cause the flowers to fail and not open. It comes from growing in damp, cool conditions.

It's important to inspect your bulb and check for signs. It can be hard to diagnose because amaryllis bulbs often develop red spots on the bulb and sometimes on the leaves. When peeling back the papery layers on the bulb, it should reveal nice white flesh underneath.

Bulbs with red blotch can be treated with a systemic fungicide. I treat mine because I grow so many and sell them. The other option is to throw the bulb away and buy a new one.

Wrapping it all up.

It's become a passion for me because it's so pretty and beautiful.

There's something magical about these bulbs and flowers.

They are one of the easiest bulbs to grow, with the biggest payoff at the end of the day. The first time you see those huge flowers open in your own home, you'll understand why I can't stop growing them.

My sources:

North Lawn Flower Farm
5 years of experience growing here at Long River Family Farm
White Flower Farm
The Amaryllis Guy

PLANT SPOTLIGHT: AMARYLLIS