Save that Amaryllis!!

Guest post by our gardener, Barb Tewell:

There are a few rules to saving that gorgeous amaryllis flower you received for the holidays.  I just wait til April and plant them in a sunny spot in my yard and watch them grow and bloom.  They require NO care in the yard!  And they grow large and stay straight and produce 4-6 large blooms on each stem!!

If you wish to have the amaryllis bloom next year for the holidays in your house, there are a few simple things to do.

1. Remove the flower stalk when blooms die. The strap-like leaves will begin to appear. At this time you may want to feed lightly.  Keep in a sunny window until outdoor nighttime temps remain above 50 degrees – and then move outside. Only water when soil is dry. This means when outside, lay pot on its side so excess rain water/irrigation water does not over water the pot.
2. The bulb will go dormant – even in the heat of summer! Remove the leaves (early August) when withered and keep the pot (on its side) in the sun. These bulbs do not require cold nor dark for their dormancy.
3. In early October, repot into fresh soil; use a new pot if needed. The pot should only be 1-2” wider than the bulb but deep enough for the root system. Remember only 1/3 of the bulb should be above the soil line. Bring indoors.
4. Watering ends the dormancy. But do so ONLY when the soil is dry – over watering rots the bulb.
5. Late October the flower stalk starts to appear, Move to a sunny location in the house and increase the watering a bit.