Although there is a lot of beauty that comes with winter, you may be sad to see the leaves and flowers go. In cities, the solitude of snow can be ruined by traffic and high population – leaving the snow looking dingy. These things can make all of us miss springtime and summer. One way to beat these blues is with the beautiful Amaryllis plant. These bulbs can be planted in the fall – and result in the gorgeous red flower you see here.
Each bulb grows one to three stems with 4-8 star-shaped funnel flowers each stem ranging in color from white to red or pink. Later long, wide green leaves will appear next to the flower stems.
They typically bloom in January, so planting amaryllises is a great way to spruce up your home during the chilly months and begin the year with a cheerful heart. Plus, if you follow our steps for taking care of your bulb, you will be able to recycle the same plant year after year and enjoy its blooms every winter.
How to Grow an Amaryllis
When you’re ready to start growing your amaryllis, you just need to keep the following things in mind:
- Pot your amaryllis in a large enough container using a loose potting mix.
- Make sure you find a sunny, warm, indoor home for your plant.
- Water your amaryllis on a regular weekly basis. The soil should remain moist.
- Turn the pot occasionally, to ensure that the stem stays straight, rather than reaching for the light and possibly becoming top-heavy as it grows.
- Look for a bloom after 4-8 weeks.
Caring for Your Amaryllis After It Blooms
Once your plant blooms, there are a few steps you need to keep in mind in order to care for it and keep it blooming year after year.
- After the flower buds have opened, bloomed, and withered it’s time to trim the stem. Use a sharp knife to cut the stalk so it’s about 6 inches above the bulb. Make sure you keep the leaves attached. They will continue to grow and are needed to nourish your plant through photosynthesis.
- As the weather starts to warm up, move your amaryllis, still in the pot, to an outdoor location where it will be exposed to filtered sunlight.
- Water your flower regularly until September.
- Bring your amaryllis pot inside, prune all the leaves, and store it in a cool (not cold) dark place (closet or basement) where it can be dormant for several months.
- In December bring your pot into the light, water it
- Keep the soil moist, and place it in a sunny window to restart the process!
- Remember to turn the pot occasionally as above.
Amaryllis Brings Beauty to Winter
At Naturescapes, we recommend Amaryllis bulbs as wonderful holiday gifts. Not only will they lift the spirits of people missing the colors of spring, but they continue to bring joy year after year.
Patti, one of our landscape design customers, sent us this note saying, “What a lovely surprise to find the gift you left on my doorstep last week. I am excited to see the amaryllis bloom. How very thoughtful. Thank you and Merry Christmas.” We are so excited to see our amaryllis bloom!
