TheMondayGarden.com

Europeans started hybridizing them in the 1600’s and they now come in white, red, pink, orange, green-striped and yellow. Apple Blossom is the most popular, followed by Red Lion. Both are Dutch hybrids that naturally bloom late winter; the South African hybrids (e.g. Masai) are said to bloom earlier.

In Hardiness Zones 7 to 9, our Southern friends, like Diane in Louisiana, grow amaryllis as an outdoor perennial bulb. Farther north, we’re stuck with pots.

The pictured flower came from a $6 grocery store bulb purchased around Thanksgiving. Want to make one that looks just as good? Here’s My EZ-Amaryllis recipe:

1. buy a bulb ($6-$25), a small bag of houseplant mix soil, and a pot (5” to 6” diameter).

2. Amaryllis need crowded roots to bloom so the pot should be no more than 2” larger in diameter than the bulb.

3. Put soil in the pot; bury the bottom 2/3 of the bulb in the soil (root-side goes down).

4. let the pot stand overnight in a few inches of warm water; the top of the soil should be damp but not wet.

5. Place in your warmest, sunniest spot (65F-75F day; 60-70F night).

6. Don’t water again until a green shoot starts coming up (3 to 7 days).

7. Water well daily (i.e. until water comes out bottom) but don’t let stand in water. Don’t fertilize.

8. Continue step 7 until flower opens (2 to 4 weeks).

9. Move out of sun and heat to prolong flower (bloom time: 2 to 3 weeks per flower stalk).

10. When flowers die, toss bulb and soil; save pot for next year.

Notes: Easier yet, buy a pre-potted bulb and start with step 4. For a more spectacular display, put 3 bulbs in a single pot (probably 9” diameter). See below for recycling the bulb, if desired.

Basic Recycling Step 1: Be willing to cultivate a plant 52 weeks for 2 to 4 weeks of flower. Like many orchids, unfortunately, amaryllis aren’t much to look at when not in bloom. Ungainly, if the truth be known. And amaryllis get mealy bugs in less than prefect conditions. Orchids, however, generally give your 3 to 6 months bloom in return for taking up space the rest of the time. If you want to proceed with the amaryllis, indoors, this means giving up a spot your sunniest window until next August. If you have an outside, put it there, in part sun. In either case, don’t let it dry out. Feed weekly with a diluted, balanced fertilizer. Use soap and water for the mealy bugs. Remember, the better the leaves, the better the flowers.

Basic Recycling Step 2: Old fashion method: In late August, stop all water. Leave bulb in pot in cool, dry. airy spot (garage, spare room). Leaves should die by the end of September. Six to eight weeks after the leaves die, take bulb out of pot, shake off the old soil and start again with step 3 above.

Basic Recycling Step 2: New Method: In late August, cut back water a bit and put in coolest available sunny place (leave outside until first frost if possible), stop fertilizing. Water just enough so that the plant doesn’t dry out. Some of the leaves will die; the rest may look tattered. Repot at the first sign of new growth in December or January, then treat as you did last year.

Go-For-The-Gold Recycling: Each amaryllis has 1 or 2 flower stalks that each have 3 to 5 flowers. With a multi-stem bulb, one stalk will usually bloom first, extending the plant’s total flowering time by 2 to 3 weeks. Bigger, older, more expensive bulbs are more likely to have multiple flower stalks. Healthy, well-nourished amaryllis will usually create a baby bulb every year or so. If you pot up the babies separately, they’ll flower in about 3 years. Now for the good part: leave the babies in the parent’s pot and let them grow entwined together. Slowly increase the size of the pot with the annual repottings (remember, keep the roots crowded and don’t separate the bulbs). I read about one gardener who ended up with 25 flower stalks in a single pot. Now that’s the plant worth growing! I suggest starting with 3 high-quality bulbs in a 9” or 10” pot. Select the color very carefully as you’ll be seeing it for years. A quick search of the major on-line bulb sellers will show you what’s available.

Have a great week

Sue

PS the pictured amaryllis is up for adoption if anyone wants it.

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And here’s what readers said:

Your amaryllis is so beautiful. thank you for sending these notes of cheer everyweek. Liz (CT)

Sue--- it was very refreshing to see your nice flower today. Leslie (CT)

Stunning!! This sweet, bold and a proud flower. It stands there like it likes to show off. Lin (NY)

Do you have any suggestions for relatively simple plants that will grow and can be taken care of well? Leslie (CT) [Good question; I'll do the next issue on this].

.Thank you too for your Monday photos which sets the stage for the week ahead. Michael (MD)

The amaryllis is a beauty. What a pick-me-up! Merry Christmas Janice (CT)

Just wanted to say a special thanks for all your e-mail love and support this past year -- and yes, you'll get cookies next year for Christmas (if I'm home to make them). ... You do a lot to brighten my life! Gregg (NY)

Thanks for all of the wonderful flowers that offset our wintery season, Terry (TX)

I was just given an amaryllis as a Christmas gift, so I went back and saved your email - thanks! It will have a red blossom - nice and big, it seems. Question - does it always need to be re-potted? Or can it stay in the same pot the following years? Judy (CO) [It needs repotting to freshen the soil but you can use the same pot over and over.]