The seductive amaryllis

Flower & Garden Magazine, Jan-Feb, 1997 by Kenneth C. Brown

Experienced Gardeners and amateurs alike will be delighted by the beauty and easy cultivation of the amaryllis (Hippeastrum). These horticultural marvels, hybrids derived from several species native to South America, are essentially foolproof.

Amaryllis bulbs are usually sold in a dormant state in the autumn and early winter. They come in different sizes and produce flowers in a variety of colors. Not all bulbs are created equal and you will find that the price is usually proportional to the size of the bulbs. As a general rule, the larger, more expensive bulbs will produce more stalks and larger flowers than smaller bulbs of the same variety; many gardeners are willing to spend the few extra dollars for more blossoms.

Newer varieties, especially the double-flowering cultivars, will most likely cost more than traditional singles. The expression "double-flowering" does not refer to the number of flowers. Rather, the number of petals in each flower is at least double the number in the regular varieties.

The amaryllis needs a pot that is just large enough to hold the bulb with about one-half inch of space between the bulb and the edge of the pot. Resist the urge to give the bulb lots of room; it actually likes to be kept in rather close quarters. Although it will grow in any type of pot as long as it has adequate drainage, a heavy clay pot will counterbalance the size and weight of the flowers. Center the bulb in the pot, then fill the pot to within one-half inch of the rim with an all-purpose potting soil. With your fingers, gently tamp the soil around the bulb. When you have properly installed your bulb into its new home, you should be able to see at least half of the bulb above the soil surface.

The amaryllis is native to tropical parts of the world. Warmth and moisture will rouse these marvels from their dormancy. We tend to buy amaryllis at the coldest time of the year, so you will have to look through your house to find a warm spot -- about 75 degrees during the day -- to get it started. When growth begins, light will be as important as heat so move the plant to a sunny south or west window. The amazingly rapid growth of the flower stalks makes regular watering critical. As soon as the soil surface shows the slightest sign of drying, it's time for you to add more water. Give the pot a half turn every time you water it to prevent the flower stalks from leaning. With amazing speed -- usually in about eight weeks -- the first of four or five flowers will open.

Preparation for the following year's blooms begins as the flowers fade. Clip off the blooming stalk, leaving the strap-shaped leaves that will have begun to emerge from the center of the bulb. These leaves will grow for several months and during that time they will regenerate the flowering capability of the bulb. Water the plant when the soil surface starts to dry; feed it with a watersoluble fertilizer every second or third watering.

When night temperatures stay above 60 degrees, move the potted amaryllis outside for the summer. Choose a sheltered spot with dappled shade, where the foliage will be protected from too much direct sunlight. Sometimes burying the pot up to its rim will make it easier to keep the soil adequately moist.

Well before any frost, bring the pot with its large, ungainly spray of leaves back into the warmth of the house and get ready to neglect it. As the days get shorter, stop doing anything for your amaryllis. Don't water or fertilize it; light is unimportant as well. In a few weeks all of the leaves will have turned a nice, crispy brown and can be pulled easily from the bulb. If you cared for your amaryllis well during the summer months, your bulb should be even bigger than when you bought it and it may have started to grow some new small bulbs. These offsets can be left just where they are and in a year or two they will also become big enough to produce flower stalks. Put the dormant bulb, still planted in its pot, in a cool, dark place to rest for at least eight weeks.

Now you get to make some choices. This bulb will reflower about eight weeks from the time it first feels water and heat. Part of the fun of growing amaryllis is choosing when you want it to bloom. Pick a date sometime in the winter or early spring, count back eight weeks and on that date bring out the now-rested bulb and start the cycle all over again.

If, after a year or two, the bulb and its offsets have grown to the edge of the pot, it is time to repot them. Some gardeners separate the clumps of bulbs (carefully, to avoid tearing their fleshy roots) and pot them individually. The bulbs then can be started at one-week intervals for a long succession of blooms. I prefer, however, to leave clumps intact and move them to the next larger size of pot. After seven to 10 years without division the mass of bulbs may require a 12-inch pot. My best effort to date is a 12-inch pot with 35 blooms open at once. Spectacular!

Editor's note: Sources for amaryllis bulbs are listed on page 64.