How to Grow Amaryllis Bulbs in Water
Amaryllis bulbs produce large and showy flowers. Gardeners often plant amaryllis bulbs in containers in the autumn to force blooms over the winter when flowers are in short supply. Amaryllis grows and blooms easily in soil; it also blooms readily when potted in water.
Place approximately 4 inches of river stones in a glass container 8 inches wide and 12 inches tall.
Examine the amaryllis bulb to find any roots extending from the bottom that are brown and dry. Cut off these roots without disturbing the white healthy roots.
Set the bulb on the river stones with the roots facing down. Add river stones around the sides of the bulb until only the upper 1/3 of the bulb is uncovered.
- Amaryllis bulbs produce large and showy flowers.
- Examine the amaryllis bulb to find any roots extending from the bottom that are brown and dry.
Add water to the container until the water level is 1 inch below the top of the amaryllis bulb. Do not submerge the amaryllis bulb--this will cause decay.
Place the container in a location that receives direct sunlight and stays at a temperature between 70 and 80 degrees F. Replenish the water every day as it evaporates so that it stays at the same level.
Watch for an amaryllis shoot to emerge in two to eight weeks. When the amaryllis blooms, rotate the container 90 degrees every day or two so that the bloom grows straight.
Discard the bulb when the blossoms wilt. Amaryllis bulbs grown in water do not generally grow well in subsequent plantings.
- Add water to the container until the water level is 1 inch below the top of the amaryllis bulb.
- When the amaryllis blooms, rotate the container 90 degrees every day or two so that the bloom grows straight.
Grow Amaryllis
Keep the soil slightly moist at all times, but never let the bulb sit and rot in waterlogged soil. When the amaryllis is flowering, increase the soil's moisture level. Make sure it gets several sun throughout the day; amaryllis thrives in partial and filtered sunlight. Full sun will increase blooming but yellow the foliage, while total shade will hurt flowering. Fertilize an outdoor amaryllis when new growth appears. Use a 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 fertilizer at a rate of 1 pound per 100 square feet. Remove the bulbs from the ground in the fall, then separate the shoots from the main bulb to replant in the fall and winter.
- Keep the soil slightly moist at all times, but never let the bulb sit and rot in waterlogged soil.
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Kathryn Hatter is a veteran home-school educator, as well as an accomplished gardener, quilter, crocheter, cook, decorator and digital graphics creator. As a regular contributor to Natural News, many of Hatter's Internet publications focus on natural health and parenting. Hatter has also had publication on home improvement websites such as Redbeacon.
