By Kathy Conner Cornell
Amaryllis are a beautiful bulb that will give you some
winter sunshine. Easy to grow and easy
to rebloom with proper care.
|
At a recent
family reunion my cousin asked me why I was allowing one of my plants to
die. I consider Grace a seasoned
gardener so I thought that if she didn’t know that Amaryllis need a dormant
period, maybe others didn’t either. I
am going to share with the secret of getting these beautiful bulbs to rebloom
year after year.
Cyclamens
are a common Christmas plant. Although
there are hardy varieties that can grow outside, the varieties available at Christmas
will not survive. I have always
considered Poinsettias as disposal plants.
Yeah, I know the whole thing about cutting it back, growing it outside
and then putting it in darkness but I’ve never seen one rebloom. But Amaryllis, Hippeastrum hybrids,
are bulbs and if treated correctly, will rebloom for years. I have one that my boss gave to me in a
former life and I’ve been retired for over thirteen years.
September
is the time to stop watering and feeding your Amaryllis plant. When the leaves show signs of dieback just
put it in a dark place for a few
months. Don’t cut off the leaves however
because those dying leaves are feeding the bulb. I have mine growing in a pot so I just leave it but it is ok to just
store the bulb itself. I like to bring
it back out in January so I can have something in bloom during February but if
you want it for Christmas, bring it out at Thanksgiving. Repot if necessary, place the plant where it
will receive some sunlight and start weekly watering. You will soon notice fresh green growth and then the emergence of
the flower stalk. Continue watering but
do not fertilize. In a few weeks the
beautiful flower will open.
After
flowering, cut off the spent flower stalk but do not cut off the leaves. Treat it like you would any other
houseplant. As with all houseplants,
resume fertilizing in March. It is a
good practice to hold off fertilizing during December to the end of February. This gives the plants a rest period and they
will be refreshed when the daylight lengthens.
After danger of frost is past you can take the Amaryllis outside for the
summer. It is ok to “plunge it” into
the garden. I generally just keep mine
in the pot so I don’t have to bother to dig it up in the fall. Then in
September stop the watering and start the cycle all over. You can have this beautiful plant for years
and years.
This
Christmas season (and my gracious WalMart already has Christmas decorations
out) when you see the little box with the Amaryllis bulb, don’t be afraid to
try one out. They are reliable plants,
come in a variety of colors, don’t require much attention and will bring you
pleasure during those cold February days.