10-04-2004, 05:32 AM
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Surprise Amaryllis And Question
From: Bonnie Punch
Date: 4/9/2004 5:39 PM Mountain Standard Time
Thank you Starlords and Bonnie.
Amaryllis bulbs really should spend the summers outdoors. There are
several factors in getting it to bloom successfuly year after year. It
should be in a pot that is only two inches bigger than the diameter of
the bulb.
The pot is the right size. I'll just have to repot it separately from the
shamrock in the same pot after the flowers are gone.
It needs to be put outside when there is no more risk of
frost, and left outside either until there is a risk of frost in the
fall, or the foliage had died back naturally.
I summer many of my houseplants in the backyard so that will be fine. I'm
guessing partial shade would be about right.
It should be given a weak
(1/4 strength) fertilizer every watering, or every other watering. It
does not need a cold period, but should rest for three months of so in
a dark cool place. After this period, you can bring it back into the
light, and water it sparingly. In about six weeks a flower stalk should
emerge. Once it has started to emerge you can start regular watering
and light fertilizing.
The flower scapes start to form 12-18 months before they bloom, so it
might take a couple of years to get it blooming regularly. They don't
naturally bloom at Christmas - Easter is a more normal flowering time.
The ones you see for sale in the fall have been pulled from the field
early, and dried a couple of months before the ideal time - they have
been forced for Christmas blooms. That doesn't really harm them, but it
means that you frequently won't get a bloom the next year, because they
didn't have enough time to form the scapes.
I did buy the bulb during the Christmas shopping season and planted and forced
it myself.
If you want Christmas blooms, buy a new one in the fall.
I'll take your suggestions and maybe try to shoot for more blooms next Easter.
The snow is coming down tonight and I ran outside to pick 3 tulips that will do
me more good inside than outside.
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