I usually only think of amaryllis when I see them in the store shortly after Halloween when the Christmas decorations are on the shelves. And by the time I realize writing a blog about how to get amaryllis to re-bloom would be a good idea, its generally too late. This year, I am getting an early enough start that you should be able to get your bulb to bloom in time for the holidays.
Amaryllis will normally bloom sometime during the winter months. The trick is how to force those bulbs for a nice show of flowers at Christmas. In a perfect world, you would have left your amaryllis bulb outside until August, bringing it indoors to dry out and go dormant. Hopefully you at least brought it in before the first frost.
Carefully wash the soil off the roots and then set the bulb aside to dry in a cool, dry spot. An unheated garage or potting shed is ideal. When you see the flower stalk begin to emerge, it's time to repot the bulb and move it inside for about three weeks. From the time you pot the bulb to the time it flowers, it will be about seven weeks, so counting backward from Christmas, repot it no later than this coming weekend.
There may be bulblets forming on the mother plant, and you can gently break those off to repot as well. They won’t bloom for several more years, however. When you repot the mother bulb, use fresh potting soil and place it in a pot that is no larger than twice the diameter of the bulb. Be very careful not to break off any roots that may have formed. And be sure not to bury the bulb too deeply, leaving one third sticking above the level of the soil.
Water thoroughly and let the plant drain. This is also the time to add a stake. You can use a piece of bamboo, but I prefer to take some heavy-gauge copper wire and twist it into a shapely spiral. When I carefully place my copper twist next to the bulb, I do so in such a way that the flower stalk will grow up through the spiral. This is a more attractive look to me than a wooden stake, but that is totally a matter of preference.
I let the plant dry out thoroughly before I water it again. And I place it in a warm, sunny spot. Temperatures of 68 to 70 degrees are ideal at this time. The flower stalk will grow out first, to be followed by the leaves. You will start to see the flower bud in a few more weeks. After the first flower has opened, you can move the plant to a more subdued light situation with cooler temperatures to keep the blooms longer.
There are some very good websites about how to care for your amaryllis both before and after it blooms. Try www.amaryllis.com or the United States National Arboretum’s site www.usna.usda.gov for more information.
Growers are producing so many beautiful colors of amaryllis now, including ones that are striped like candy canes or that are apricot or pink in color. I personally prefer the dark red ones but that’s because I am partial to the traditional Christmas colors. They do make wonderful gifts, too. Perhaps these easy steps will inspire you to save that bulb or buy a new one this year to try next fall.
Comments