How to Take Care of and Grow an Amaryllis Bulb

Amaryllis flowers may be red, pink, salmon, white or bi-colored.

Although Hippeastrum, or amaryllis, is native to South America, bulbs you buy today are probably Dutch or South African. While you can cultivate these beauties indoors year-round or outdoors during the summer, amaryllis plants are frost-tender and are typically grown as "forced" bulbs indoors. About eight to 10 weeks after you plant a bulb, flower scapes, or stalks, appear. Each scape grows to about 24 inches tall and can have from two to six showy flowers clustered at the top, with individual flowers ranging from seven to 10 inches across. Amaryllis bulbs are ready to plant when you purchase them, with no chilling preparation necessary.

Things You'll Need

• Amaryllis bulb
• Growing pot/container
• Sterile potting medium

Instructions

1. Examine the bulbs for discolored or powdery areas that are a sign of mold or decay. Select only large, firm bulbs that have healthy outer skin with no marks or blemishes. If you are replanting bulbs that you saved through dormancy, trim off any remnants of dead foliage from the top of the bulb. As a general rule, larger bulbs produce more blossoms.

2. Choose a container that allows about 1 inch of space on all sides of your bulb. Amaryllis bulbs bloom best if they are slightly rootbound, so don't use an oversized pot. Any plastic or clay pot is ideal, but drainage holes in the bottom of the pot are a must.

3. Fill the pot about half full with sterile potting soil that has a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Settle the root end of the bulb in the soil, and continue filling the pot with soil until one-half to two-thirds of the bulb is covered. Exposing the top "nose" of the bulb reduces the risk of red blotch fungus.

4. Water the bulb immediately, and keep the soil only slightly moist until the plant blooms. When flowers appear, water more often to prolong the life of the blooms.

5. Place your amaryllis bulb in direct sunlight in a south-facing window, if possible, until the flower buds are ready to open. Move it into indirect light just before the buds open to help your flowers last longer.

6. Keep your amaryllis bulb warm at an ideal temperature of about 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit as the foliage grows and the flower scapes develop. Move the plant to a cooler temperature of about 65 degrees as soon as the flowers open to help the blossoms last longer.

7. Keep faded flowers trimmed to avoid energy-sapping seed production. Remaining flowers will look better longer.

8. Return the plant to a sunny window after your amaryllis finishes blooming. When the scape turns yellow, cut it off just above the top of the bulb. Allow the foliage to continue growing until it yellows naturally as the plant goes into dormancy. Trim dead foliage, withhold water and keep the bulb in a cool, dry, dark place for eight to 12 weeks before you bring the bulb out to bloom again. The optimum storage temperature is 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tips & Warnings

• As soon as leaves appear, fertilize your amaryllis twice a month with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer. Continue to fertilize regularly until dormancy.

• Make your own potting mix for your amaryllis using half sterilized peat and half perlite.

References

• Clemson University Extension; Amaryllis; Nancy Doubrava, et al.; June 1999
• University of Minnesota Extension; Growing and Caring for Amaryllis; Carl Hoffman, et al.; 2008

Resources

• University of Nebraska Extension; Guide to Growing Amaryllis; Mary Jane Frogge; Feb 2008