How to take care of and grow an Amaryllis bulb

Amaryllis flowers are gorgeous and now you can learn how to properly take care of yours. If you are wanting to start an Amaryllis bulb, you will gain the knowledge of the care they take.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Amaryllis bulb
• potting soil
• planter
• water

1. Fill your planter 2/3 full with a good potting soil. Set bulb nose up, roots down into the planter. Hold the bulb in place with one hand while adding more soil, pressing firmly around the bulb. The upper 1/3 of the bulb should be left exposed.

2. Keep inside in a warm and sunny location initially to jump start growth. Make sure the soil stays moist but increase watering as it develops.

3. Since plants like light and tend to grow towards it, rotate the planter often so the flower stalk will grow straight.

4. Once the flowers bloom, move the planter to a cooler location to proplong the flower life time.

5. To re-grow next year, cut down the flower stalk after the flowers die but leave the other foilage. During the summer months, put the planter outside. In Septmeber, bring it back inside, remove the foilage and add new potting soil around the bulb pressing firmly. Let it rest for 8 to 10 weeks.

6. In November, re-pot the bulb with new potting soil. Just dump everything out and start over.

Tips & Warnings

• These outrageously fabulous and elegant trumpet shaped flowers are easy to grow. They deliver weeks of spectacular blooms during the winter months.
• Sit back and relax as Amaryllis are easy and fun to grow.
• You can add a fertilizer to help things if needed. I use Schultz for African Violets but any one that is for flowers will work. These can be found at Walmart in the garden section.