How to Plant and Grow a Holiday Favourite: Amaryllis
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Time to read 4 min
Amaryllis has been a longstanding holiday favourite throughout the generations. It is easy to grow, and is a bulb that can be stored and reused for years to come! A dazzling centerpiece or a fresh addition to an office desk, Amaryllis is the gift that keeps on… BLOOMING!
Let us share some tips for growing these beauties, from selecting a healthy bulb, to potting, growing, and storing for use over the years to come!
Interior Seed and Fertilizer Garden Centre in Cranbrook, BC.
Selecting Your Amaryllis
For the most part, Amaryllis varieties have similar growing requirements:
- Well-drained, fertile soil
- Room temperatures in the range from 65 to 75 degrees
- Bright indirect sunlight
- Water sparingly
- Move into brighter sunlight when the flower stalk appears
Therefor, there in not a lot to think about when selecting your Amaryllis bulb aside from making sure the bulb is nice and firm without any mushy spots. Look for firm bulbs with healthy roots at the bottom. With these tips, you'll be on your way to Amaryllis paradise in no time! The most difficult part of the selection process will be in choosing a single variety to grow, they are all STUNNING! But, guess what! You are a grown up and you can buy as many as you would like, and you can even bunch multiple bulbs together depending on the size of your pot! Or, select a few to gift, as they make an amazing, unique gift that can live on for years, at an affordable price.
You will also need to decide if you will purchase a bulb that requires potting, or a bulb that is wrapped in wax, which will require no potting, or watering for that matter. Wax bulbs make for a minimalistic and stylish piece of holiday decor.
Interior Seed & Fertilizer Garden Centre in Cranbrook, BC
Potting Your Amaryllis
You can plant Amaryllis solo for a stunning centerpiece or gather a group for an awe-inspiring display. Get ready to bloom like never before!
If you have purchased a loose Amaryllis bulb, you will need to find a container to house your new floral friend. However, if you went with an Amaryllis bulb that is wrapped in a decorative wax, there is no need to take further action in potting your bulb. You can simply place it on a flat surface, and be sure to rotate it as it grows in order to ensure the stem stay straight.
Select a pot: Your containers must have drainage holes, or your Amaryllis might drown in a watery grave. Don't fret, we've got you covered! Pick a container that's just the right size, about an inch larger than the bulb, or multiple bulbs bunched together. Select a pot with good drainage and a tray to catch the run-off.
Select your growing medium : Use a well draining potting mix for planting your Amaryllis. Fill the pot so that when you rest the bulb in the soil, one third to one half of the bulb is still exposed. Fill in around the sides of the bulb until the bulb is secure in the pot.
Top with decorative dressing (optional): We love to top our pots with preserved moss, like SuperMoss! This moss adds an extra natural element that feels like the finishing touch. It comes in an array of colours and textures, so you are sure to find the right fit for your aesthetic! Available in store! SuperMoss is useful for so many things beyond dressing up your potted plants.
Image Courtesy of Longfield Gardens, NJ.
Growing Your Amaryllis
It is a joy watching an Amaryllis stock sprout up and grow from the giant bulb you went home with. At times, the stock may reach for a light source, like a nearby window. To ensure your stock grows straight, you may wish to rotate the pot or wax bulb every couple days or so. This is important, as you will be dealing with large (and incredible!) flower heads that will easily topple over if your main stem has been growing towards the light and is already leaning.
For some larger bloom varieties, you may even wish to add a small stake to your pot for additional support. A wooden chopstick works great and is unobtrusive in the display. You can even decorate the chopstick by gluing SuperMoss to create a mini moss pole for a more natural look!
For wax bulb Amaryllis, the wax around the bulb essentially acts as a pot that keeps all the moisture the Amaryllis needs to bloom inside the soil. That means you literally don’t have to do anything except keep them in an area with filtered sunlight, and rotate the bulb every so often.
If the the wax bulb Amaryllis gets a bit top-heavy when it starts to bloom, you can place it in a pot or clear vase to keep it from falling over.
Watering: Water sparingly until the stem appears, usually when the top two inches of soil are dry. Then, as the bud and leaves appear, gradually water more. At this point, the stem will grow rapidly and flowers will develop after it has reached full growth.
Fertilizing: Feed Amaryllis with a half-strength water soluble fertilizer every two to three weeks.
Avoid Overwatering: Overwatering can lead to your bulb rotting and turning to mush.
Photo Credit: White Flower Farm, CT.
Storing Your Amaryllis for the Next Holiday Season
To store amaryllis bulbs for winter, follow these steps:
- After blooms fade you can remove thge main flower stock, but allow the leaves to die back as they would in nature in order for the bulb to collect and store energy as it enters dormancy.
- When the leaves have died back, trim them off, and lay the bulbs out on newspaper in a cool and dry location for one to three days to dry.
- Clean off any dirt or debris from the bulbs.
- Place the bulbs in an open container, paper bag, or mesh bag with some moist peat moss.
- Store the bulbs in a cool and dark location, such as a garage, attic, or crawl space.
- Check on the bulbs periodically to ensure they are not drying out or sprouting.
- Do not store the bulbs in a refrigerator that has apples inside, as this can sterilize the bulbs!
By following these steps, you can successfully store your Amaryllis bulbs for winter and ensure healthy growth when you are ready to plant them once more!
We hope you can enjoy these fascinating and festive florals for years to come, and add to your Amaryllis collection over the years!
Wax Bulb Amaryllis at Interior Seed & Fertilizer Garden Centre in Cranbrook, BC.