What Do I Do With My Amaryllis?

By Patricia Diaz, from the January 2005 Newsletter

Did you happen to receive a beautiful amaryllis as a gift this holiday season? I did and decided to research a little bit about this wonderful plant. Given the right care, you can have repeat blooms every year.

The amaryllis (Amaryllis belladonna – Brunsvigia rosea) is a native of South Africa and, while hardy in mild-winter areas, here on the Palouse it needs to be an indoor plant. Most of the marketed bulbs come from Amsterdam, Israel, or South Africa. There will be two to six flowers per stalk and you can have multiple stalks coming from your bulb. The big, beautiful flowers are usually red, pink, white, orange, salmon, or bi-colored and grow 18-36”. An important caution—the bulbs are poisonous, so please take care around little ones and pets.

If you received your gift as a bare bulb, place the bulb and the roots in lukewarm water for several hours before planting. Then plant in a pot slightly larger than the diameter of the bulb. Cover up to the neck of the bulb with soil consisting of peat and perlite. Amaryllis aren’t particularly fussy about their soil, but they don’t like pine bark near them so don’t use that in the soil concoction. Water thoroughly at that point but only water sparingly the first weeks after planting. After the leaves and the bud develop, water more. About once a week is a good amount of water. They like to be moist but not wet.

Amaryllis plants like direct sun until they flower, then don’t let the flower sit in the hot sun (not that this is usually a problem this time of year). They also like to be in warm areas, about 70–75 degrees. After the plant begins to flower (which should be about six to eight weeks after you planted the bulb) put the plant in an area where it is about 65–75 degrees.

You should fertilize your plant after it starts to grow. In mid to late summer, stop watering and let the leaves die back. Cut the stalk just above the bulb nose. By late September or October, place the bulb in a cool, dark place for eight to twelve weeks. Then bring the bulb back to room temperature, begin to water it, and the flowering cycle will begin again.

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