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<< Previous   of   Next >> c. JupiterImages Corp.  (click to enlarge) Amaryllis   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Amazing amaryllis: So easy to grow they don't have to be 'forced' By Sarah Jackson The Herald Every day now, fall is starting to look an awful lot like, egad, winter. But fear not. This is amaryllis season: Anyone with about $5 can indulge in a spray of colorful, gargantuan flowers. Amaryllis bulbs, available at garden centers and grocery stores starting in October, are ready to burst into bloom. Just put them in potting mix and add water and light. Like other bulbs, amaryllis bulbs require a chilling period to come alive, but most today are precooled and bloom in as few as four weeks after planting. Prechilling tricks the plants into thinking spring has sprung. Act now and see flamboyant flowers by Christmas Day. You could even pot up a few every couple of weeks for glorious blooms into February. Unlike many forced bulbs, amaryllis can be brought back for years and years, even decades, cared for correctly. While most amaryllis bulbs sold in the United States are red, pink or white (the velvety Red Lion is classic), recently new double-flowered versions, plus pastels, yellows and even pale greens, are popping up. A cheerful bi-color bloomer, Pizazz, white with splashes of red, looks like a holiday candy cane. Dancing Queen is a double amaryllis, with a multilayered petticoat of ruffled, red and white petals. And Papilio, also known as the butterfly amaryllis, is an unspeakably elegant green-bronze variety striped with deep burgundy stripes. Sarah Jackson 425-339-3037 sjackson@heraldnet.com Amaryllis basics Most amaryllis bulbs sold today come with instructions. Follow them closely for best results. Here are a few other things to keep in mind. If you want to learn more about amaryllis varieties, don't look under amaryllis in plant books. That's another plant. Botanically speaking, these plants are typically hybrids of hippeastrum. Choose a pot that isn't much bigger around than the bulb, leaving about an inch between the bulb and the edge of the pot. Plant bulbs in light, well-draining potting mix with the top third of the bulb (the shoulders and neck) above the soil. Keep the bulb slightly moist but not wet. When you see new top growth, water more, but let the first inch of soil dry out between watering. Grow in bright light, but avoid direct sunlight when the plant is flowering. Rotate the pot a quarter turn every three days. Plants will grow toward light sources. Apply a houseplant fertilizer every two weeks after the plant starts to produce leaves. When leaf stalks reach about 12 inches, insert stakes to keep amaryllis upright. You can also stabilize it by planting three or more in a larger container shoulder to shoulder. When the flowers fade, cut off flower stalks to direct energy back into the bulb and to prevent seed formation. Cut off foliage only when it yellows and flops. See www.bulb.com for step-by-step instructions, including how to make a single bulb come back for up to 40 years. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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