Amaryllis

Jan 28, 2010

by Peter Pietsch, Lanark Master Gardeners

By now most of you who have bought an Amaryllis (botanical Hippeastrum) before Christmas are left with a pot, a bulb and a few leaves. It was quite a show and so easy to grow!

If any of you are like me, you probably wanted to buy all of the left-over bulbs that were still in the store. They look so pathetic and starting to bloom right there on the shelf, contorted by the box as they grew. That is the habit of Amaryllis. Once it is ready to flower nothing will stop it.

The directions on the package probably said to pot in good soil, with a third of the bulb sticking out of the soil and add some broken clay crockery in the bottom to assure good drainage. Next add water, wait and then “Voila” - your plant flowers! The flower stalk should come first and during the time it is flowering, up to half a dozen leaves should appear. As the leaves come out you should fertilize when you water with a very weak solution of water soluble fertilizer (anything like 30-30-30). What is happening now is the bulb is revitalizing itself to do the same thing all over again in about a year’s time. The making of the flowers has sapped the strength of the bulb. These are ephemerals similar to Tulips and our Trilliums in that they show life for a part of the year and then go dormant because of very unfavourable growing conditions.

They must go through a complete drying down period but first keep the leaves green by watering regularly for a minimum of three months and keep it in a sunny window. The longer you keep watering the longer they will stay green. This will revitalize the bulb. Some bulbs may even produce a second bulb. This can be potted up in its own pot or left where it is with the original bulb. However, it probably will not flower for a couple of years because it is too small. But eventually it will and the flowers will be the same as the original, a chip off the old block. This is called vegetative reproduction.

Once the leaves have been on the plant for at least three months, begin reducing the amount of water over a couple of weeks until the soil dries out completely. Now the leaves should be turning yellow and dying off. Do not water for a minimum of three months, as this is what the plant would do in its natural habitat. Light at this time is not necessary.

The bulb can also be planted outside in its pot, kept in a shady spot and watered occasionally during the summer, Before frost, cut back completely and keep in a cool basement.  The climate where it grows naturally in Brazil would have a moist season and a dry season just like our Trilliums. And this is where the magic starts all over again. You can actually control the approximate time this bulb will flower again by extending the weeks the plant has green leaves and the subsequent dormant period. Here is the challenge! When will it flower? You can decide. My birthday is on December 20. How about trying for that date?