How to Grow and Care for Amaryllis Flowers
Type: Flowering Bulb
Latin Name: Liliaceae/Amaryllidaceae
So just why do so many people enjoy growing Amaryllis indoors? That's easy!
First, they are an easy bulb to grow. Forcing Amaryllis to bloom indoors
is a snap. Many garden stores carry them boxed, potted and ready to grow
by just adding water. Second, they have big, bright, trumpet shaped blooms
cheering up the indoor winter scene. And, third, many people need to grow
something during the long winter. For gardeners, winter can be long. growing
indoor plants help us to get through the long off season.
The word Amaryllis comes from the Greek word for "sparkling". And they do
just that, brightening up a spring lawn, or adding color indoors on a cold,
drab winter's day. Big, cheerful, trumpet shaped blooms come in red, pink,
yellow and a few combinations of these colors. A single flower blooms six
to eight weeks after planting. Plants can grow up to two feet.
Amaryllis can be grown outdoors in frost free areas. They also can be grown
in colder regions. In cold regions, pull up the bulbs before winter, and
store them until spring.
How to Grow:
Plant bulbs with the upper third above ground in good, rich potting soil.
The plant and bloom grows big. Put just one bulb into a six inch or larger
pot. Use containers slightly bigger than the circumference of the bulb. They
do not need a lot of soil and growing space indoors. The pot should be heavy
as the plant can grow up to two feet. It should also have holes in the bottom
for good drainage.
Whether indoors or out, your Amaryllis will benefit by as much sunlight as
you can provide it.
Planning on keeping your bulbs? Apply a light dose of fertilizer once or
twice, especially after blooming. The bulb stores all the food it needs for
this year's bloom. The fertilizer helps the plant store food for next year.
If growing outdoors, plant the bulbs singly, or put two or three together
in a group.
The flower stalk and flower will emerge first, followed by leaves. Do not
cut the plant back until the leaves have yellowed and died. If grown outdoors,
provide a layer of mulch to protect them from frost.
Propagation:
If the plant is allowed to grow until the leaves yellow, the bulb will bloom
for years . Like other bulbs, the plant needs time to grow and store energy
in the bulb for next season. New plants are propagated by separating bulbs
or from new seeds.
You can promote new seed growth. When the flower blooms, gently hand pollinate
the flower. After the plant dies off, you can harvest the seed head. Open
the seeds and allow to dry thoroughly before storing them.
More Information:
Amaryllis
information at Garden Hobbies
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