{"id":18372,"date":"2021-11-08T14:12:29","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T19:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greatbiggreenhouse.com\/?p=18372"},"modified":"2021-11-08T14:12:29","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T19:12:29","slug":"bonnies-garden-tis-the-season-for-amaryllis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meadowsfarms.com\/great-big-greenhouse-gardening-blog\/bonnies-garden-tis-the-season-for-amaryllis\/","title":{"rendered":"BONNIE’S GARDEN – Tis the Season\u2014for Amaryllis!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Is anything prettier or more dramatic than amaryllis in full bloom? What we call \u2018amaryllis\u2019 are really \u2018hippeastrum\u2019\u2014members of the amaryllis family.<\/p>\n
The plants that are really \u2018amaryllis\u2019 are the Amaryllis Belladonna and relatives. These days, however, hippeastrum has been called \u2018amaryllis\u2019 for so long, we\u2019ll never be able to get people to call them anything else. So I\u2019ll call them amaryllis, too.<\/p>\n
The word Hippeastrum comes from the ancient Greek\u2014hippeus (Mounted knight) and astron (star).\u00a0\u00a0So Hippeastrum means Knight\u2019s Star.\u00a0\u00a0The word Amaryllis, in Greek, means sparkle.<\/p>\n
Just about everywhere these days\u00a0you can find amaryllis in boxes\u2014a red, a white, a pink, and a red-and-white stripe.\u00a0\u00a0They\u2019ll be priced in the vicinity of 10 bucks, give or take a dollar.\u00a0\u00a0If you need a grab-and-go quick gift, they\u2019re great.\u00a0\u00a0But if you are growing something for yourself or family and friends, look for just the bulb and plant it yourself.<\/p>\n
With amaryllis, the bigger the bulb for the variety, the more flowers you get\u2014hands down.\u00a0\u00a0The amaryllis in the gift boxes are about as big as a small apple.\u00a0\u00a0In a garden center, you can find individual bulbs of the same variety as big as a grapefruit\u2014or even a little bigger.\u00a0\u00a0The small bulb in the box will give you one to two flower stems with three to four flowers on a stem.\u00a0\u00a0The bigger bulb can give you two to three stems with four to six flowers each.<\/p>\n
Amaryllis come in so many fun varieties\u2014double-flowered amaryllis like Double Dragon and Elvas that are gorgeous and showy; minis like Evergreen and Baby Star that\u00a0are short and sturdy; odd ones like La Paz\u00a0that\u00a0look like a spider; dramatic ones like Black Pearl whose flowers look like burgundy satin or Magic Green with pale green flowers with burgundy streaks.<\/p>\n
Amaryllis are easy to grow and bloom\u2014and re-bloom.<\/p>\n
When you buy the bulb, plant it in a pot about one to one and a half inches bigger around, leaving the top third of the bulb above the soil level.\u00a0\u00a0Water lightly, but keep on the dry side until growth appears.\u00a0\u00a0It can take two to three weeks before the tip of a bloom spike shows.\u00a0\u00a0Keep in a sunny window.\u00a0\u00a0The flower stalks are like \u201clight meters\u201d and will grow pointing to the light, so turn the pot a quarter turn every time you water.\u00a0\u00a0More sun will keep the stalk short and sturdy.\u00a0\u00a0Most bulbs will have two stems. Both stems may bloom at the same time, but more often, one stalk will bloom and the other a week or so later.<\/p>\n
After the bulb blooms, it will begin to grow leaves.\u00a0\u00a0When you cut the spent flowers off, do not disturb the foliage.\u00a0\u00a0This would be the time to begin feeding your amaryllis.\u00a0\u00a0I usually use my favorite Neptune\u2019s Harvest fish\/seaweed blend but any good houseplant food is fine.\u00a0\u00a0I keep the pot in a sunny window until the end of April and then move it outside for the summer.\u00a0\u00a0Over the summer, I feed them and keep them watered. If you know you\u2019re going to forget to feed once they are outside, then use a slow-release and that\u2019ll take care of them most of the summer.<\/p>\n
In the middle or end of October, I bring my amaryllis inside and dry them out.\u00a0\u00a0I cut the leaves off, leaving a one-inch stubble, and store the dry bulb in the pot in the back of a closet, an attic, basement, or garage\u2014any place cool, dark, and dry.<\/p>\n
At the end of eight weeks, I check on them and if I see any fat stiff little bloom shoots showing I bring them out, otherwise I leave them another two weeks.\u00a0\u00a0When you bring them out, place them in a sunny window and begin watering and they\u2019ll bloom again.\u00a0\u00a0The secret is feeding over the summer and giving them an eight to ten-week dormancy.\u00a0\u00a0If you do that, they\u2019ll bloom for you year after year.<\/p>\n
Come in and check out our selection of this fun and easy bloomer. You’ll feel great and so will everyone you give this beautiful gift to\u2014and don\u2019t forget to give a gift of one to yourself.\u00a0 Who deserves it more?<\/p>\n
To read more posts from Bonnie, visit our blog<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is anything prettier or more dramatic than amaryllis in full bloom? What we call \u2018amaryllis\u2019 are really \u2018hippeastrum\u2019\u2014members of the amaryllis family. The plants that are really \u2018amaryllis\u2019 are the Amaryllis Belladonna and relatives. These days, however, hippeastrum has been called \u2018amaryllis\u2019 for so long, we\u2019ll never be able to get people to call them … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n