The aim of the blog is to share our knowledge of what to plant, what is flowering and what you should be doing to prepare for the next planting season!
Learn about Amaryllis
Planting Instructions
Plant the bulb with the point upwards in a pot slightly larger than the diameter of the bulb. Do not fill the pot with too much soil: leave enough room for watering. The point of the bulb remains above the surface. Water after planting. The Amaryllis should be placed indoors in the warmest possible location, where the temperature does not go below 70ºF (20ºC). Water once a week until the flower bud appears. Once the flower bud appears, it is necessary to water twice a week. The bulb must be turned regularly to keep the stem from turning to the daylight. Otherwise, the stem will grow towards the direction of the light. During the period the amaryllis is in bloom, the flowers will last longer when the plant is placed in a cooler location.
Aftercare
After your amaryllis (Hippeastrum) has bloomed, it may seem past its prime, but don’t throw it away. If you follow these tips, you’ll have an even larger plant next year. After it has finished blooming, cut off the flower stalk to 1inch (25mm) to 2 inches (50mm) above the bulb, and keep the plant, with its long, bladelike leaves, growing through the summer. Around September, place it in a dark closet, and leave it there to lie dormant for a couple of months; this simulates the drought conditions of the plant’s native South America. When you take it out of the closet, the leaves will have wilted. Just cut these off flush with the bulb, taking care not to cut any new flower buds that are starting to emerge, and add a little soil if it looks depleted. Water the bulb, set it in a sunny window, and don’t water it again until it shows signs of awakening. Your newly awakened amaryllis bulb will grow into a tall, elegant flower, which, if you time it right, will bloom just as next Christmas rolls around.
Diseases of Amaryllis
Red fire disease is caused by a fungus, Stagonospora curtisii, that resists organic and chemical remedies. However, that need not mean bulbicide.
Though leaves and flowers show damage first, the fungus is thought to start in the bulb, a clump of overlapping scales. If more than a third has red fire, discard the plant. If only a few scales have red markings, remove them, along with infected leaves and flowers. Replant the bulb in clean soil and keep it in quarantine until it recovers (or does not!!!).
