Amaryllis is the classy, flashy diva of the winter indoor garden. There’s just no other easy-to-grow houseplant that produces such big, beautiful flowers.
Amaryllis don’t just flower: they transform. Because they bloom effortlessly, many people buy bulbs wholesale, pot them and give them as presents. Even a hapless nongardener will feel he has a green thumb when a skinny green amaryllis stalk grows taller and taller until after six to 12 weeks of suspense it pops open three to six brilliant trumpet-shaped flowers.
Are amaryllis really foolproof? Well . . . there is one pitfall. The flowers can be so big and heavy that the plants topple over. If your amaryllis just won’t stand up, cut the hollow stalk at the base, fill it with water, and plug the cut end with a cotton ball to keep the water inside the stalk. Then arrange the amaryllis as a cut flower. But tipping is preventable if you plant the bulbs in heavy containers such as square terracotta pots. Each pot should be only one inch wider than the bulb, which likes to have its roots crowded. If you plant several amaryllis bulbs of the same variety all together in a single larger pot, you will have an even more stable base and a staggered display that can last months. You can even tie the blossom head to a stake, or even a secure nearby object.
Before planting, scrub used terracotta pots and then soak them in clear water. Cover the drainage hole in the bottom with broken terracotta or stones to prevent clogging. Soak the roots of each amaryllis bulb in tepid water for an hour before planting, too, without immersing the bulb. When planting, hold the bulb so that one quarter of it protrudes above the pot and tamp sterile potting soil around the roots and the lower three-quarters of the bulb. Then water and wait for greenery to sprout before watering again.
Place the developing plant in a sunny window, but turn it occasionally to prevent the elongating flower stem from bending toward the light — and toppling. Once open, the flowers last longer if you pinch off the yellow pollen-covered anthers with a tissue (to avoid pollen stains) and move the plant away from the window to a cooler spot where it can be admired.
Don’t be too quick to discard your amaryllis after blooming, as bulbs often send up a second flower stalk. If your amaryllis produces multiple stalks, it is well worth keeping as a houseplant, because it will probably bloom again next winter. In this case, start feeding it 20-20-20 soluble houseplant fertilizer every two weeks after blooming ends. Move the pots outside in June and continue to feed and water it until late July, when you turn the pots on their sides to cut off rainwater and induce dormancy. In late August, remove any remaining leaves and store the bulb (pot and all) in a cool, dark dry place for two to three months.
In October, dump out loose soil and add a layer of fresh potting soil mixed with a tablespoon of bone meal or bulb food. Submerge the entire pot of bulb and soil in water for five minutes. Then wait for the encore to begin
|
Select a Florist
