Melinda Myers

Amaryllis

Botanical Name

Hippeastrum

Min Zone

8

Max Zone

10

Height

1 to 2 feet

Width

9 to 12 inches

Flowers

Seasonal: trumpet-shaped, white, pink, red, salmon, rose, apricot, bicolor; 6 to 10 inches

Light

Bright, indirect light when growing indoors, dappled shade or bright shade when growing outdoors

Soil

Moist, well-drained, rich

Planting & Care

• Bulbs should be firm and dry with no signs of injury, mold or decay
• Select a container with good drainage to avoid bulb or root rot from excess moisture
• Diameter of pot should be about 1 inch wider than the wides part and twice as tall as the bulb to allow for good root development
• Amaryllis prefer to be slightly potbound
• Potting mix should be sterile and rich in organic matter
• Plant the bulb so that ¹/₃ to ¹/₂ remains above the soil surface
• Plan to have a 1-inch gap from the soil surface to the rim of your pot to accomodate watering
• Water when the top 2 inches of soil feels dry
• Bulbs should begin to produce a flower stalk and begin blooming 6 to 8 weeks after planting
• To prolong bloom period, keep your plant out of direct sunlight
• After the flowers fade, carefully prune them off, taking care not to damage the main flower stem
• Seed formation depletes the energy reserves in the bulb and will reduce future blooms
• Remove the flower stalk only once it has turned yellow, as long as it is still green, it is producing energy for the bulb
• Once the plant has finished blooming, move it to the sunniest location possible to allow the leaves to continue to grow and produce energy to store in the bulb
• Continue watering regularly and fertilize monthly with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer
• When all danger of frost has passed in spring, you can move your plant outdoors, first in shade to acclimate it to the outside then gradually move it to a sunny location where it should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight dialy
• Grow as a container plant on your deck or patio, or sink the entire container into the ground for the summer, removing from the pot is not recommended
• By mid to late summer the foliage may die back as the bulb enters dormancy
• Bring the pot indoors before the first frost and store in a dark location at a cool 50° to 60° and do not water
• Allow the leaves to dry and turn brown before removing them
• Leave the pot in the dark for 8 to 12 weeks
• Periodically inspect the bulb for mold or mildew
• When plants begin to grow again, move plant to a sunny window, water and fertilize as above
• Flowers usually develop in about 4 to 6 weeks from dormant bulbs

Problems

Mealybugs, red blotch, narcissus bulb fly

Varieties

• Apple Blossom - white with red lines, pink blush, single type
• Beautiful Lady - pale mandarin red, single
• Valentine - white with pink veins, single
• Susan - soft pink, single
• Spotty - red-brown with greenish lines, small single flowers
• Best Seller - cherry red on a short stem
• Bouquet - salmon pink, single large flower
• Byjou - soft burnt apricot, single
• Cantate - milky deep red, single
• Scarlet Baby - red, small single flower
• Rilona - peach pink, single
• Red Lion - dark red, single
• Picotee - white, fine red border, single
• Christmas Gift - white, single
• Dazzler - white, single
• Double Picotee - white, fine red border, double type
• Dutch Belle - opal rose, single
• Pasadena - red with white bands, double
• Orange Sovereign - red-orange, single
• Minerva - red with white bands and green throat, single
• Germa - yellow, single
• Lady Jane - rose pink with faint white bands, double
• Ludwig's Goliath - bright scarlet, single