The sporty , well-heeled - to - grow efflorescence of amaryllis effortlessly upgrade your holiday decor .
Denny Schrock
While they may share the stage withpoinsettiasandpaperwhite narcissus , the huge blooms of amaryllis ( Hippeastrumspp . ) make them the star players of the holiday time of year . Their horn - shaped blossoms can be as bountiful as your clear mitt , blooming atop thick green stem that can reach 2 feet magniloquent . Most often seen in red and whitened , amaryllis flowers seem utterly designed to set off evergreen boughs and fortunate candles .
Credit:Denny Schrock
These stars are not divas , though . turn amaryllis could n’t be easier , making them an ideal hostess gift or holiday decoration even for people who do n’t own a houseplant . It was likely this rare willingness to blossom indoors in wintertime that ensured their popularity as a holiday industrial plant .
Brent Heathis the co - possessor of Brent and Becky ’s Bulbs .
Brent Heath , conscientious objector - owner of Brent and Becky ’s Bulbs , has been working the kin byplay for 50 long time and says the party has been sell amaryllis in winter since he can think . “ They are soeasy to force , and they hail in Christmas colors , ” he enjoin , “ but somebody chose the loose name for marketing . ” The name amaryllis comes from the Greek word for " glisten . "
Types of Amaryllis
We call them amaryllis , but botanically , these electric light areHippeastrum . In the Amaryllidaceae family , their cousins include many of thebulbs we embed in fall including daffodilsand “ nude ladies ” ( Amaryllis belladonna ) . aboriginal to South America and Mexico , certain eccentric , notably ones with belittled , elegant , spidery blossom , are also cultivated in South Africa . Most of the boastfully - flowered varieties sold for the United States holiday market are grown in the Netherlands .
“ The Dutch - grown ones are the great big ones , ” Heath pronounce . However , he find the South African - civilise bulb easiest to force in meter for the holidays . Because they can be harvested to begin with in the Southern Hemisphere , these take six to eight weeks to bloom compared to eight to 10 weeks for the Dutch - produce types . These are daintier flowers in a compact package .
“ In South Africa , they are catch into small-scale flowered ones . They are wonderful garden plants from Zone 7 southward . ” heathland enjoin they bloom prolifically in May in his married woman Becky ’s garden in Virginia .
Heath say breeders are continually working to convey Modern potpourri to market place to invigorate your winter displays . Beyond violent and whitened , you ’ll feel variations on peach , Salmon River , chartreuse , and xanthous . Watch for sophisticated pastels , showy colors and stripe , and showy double - flowered types .
Forcing Amaryllis Indoors
Most people , however , are growing amaryllis indoors rather than out in their garden . Around the holidays , you’re able to buy them as single juiceless bulbs , in a outfit with grunge or peat moss , or already potted and growing , ready to bloom . Some electric light are sold plunge in wax so they do n’t call for soil or even water . If you plan to keep your amaryllis bulb after it flower , raise it in a pot with soil is best .
Whenpotting up your amaryllis bulb , always allow for the top third of the electric light exposed above the growing medium . Water meagerly when the top column inch of the soil is dry . If you ’re grow the bulb on stones or in an amaryllis vase , keep the water level no higher than one column inch below the base of the bulb .
In general , cooler conditions slow down growth and bloom , and warmer ones speed them up . Bottom heat , such as from the top of a refrigerator or a propagation heating flatness , can wake up a sleepy bulb . Once growth appears , your amaryllis will ask bright light at a South - facing window or from a grow luminosity .
Moderate temperatures and good Christ Within further compact growth , Heath says , but you may still postulate to stake your amaryllis . Branches of curly willow ( Salix ) or red - stemmeddogwood(Cornus ) add decorative support . Putting them in a cooler room at night can also help prolong blossom . move out flower once past can advance a second bang , say Heath .
Amaryllis After Blooming
Tobring your amaryllis back for a repeat performancenext year , you need to foster good folio growth indoors until you could take it out of doors . “ The leaves are the solar collectors , and the bulbs are the electric battery , ” says Heath .
Cut the blossom stalk 3 - 5 inches above the base of the medulla oblongata , maintain high brightness level and watering as before , but include a balanced water system - soluble fertiliser monthly to help the electric light progress up its resourcefulness after force .
“ As soon as it ’s not freezing you’re able to constitute in the garden , ” Heath says . After hardening off the plant by keep it in partial shade for a few days , give your plant aspot in full suneither in - ground or in its pot and grow until frost char the leaves .
Trim the leaves , and bring them inside to store your bulb dry ( potted or solo ) for eight to 10 week in a cool dark room like a basement or garage . To kickstart growth , spate orrepot as require , move to a bright position , and water meagerly until shoots egress .
Decorating with Amaryllis
For a plushy , living centrepiece try Heath ’s method . “ I love to useHippeastrumas a centrepiece with other bulbs . " Using a pot or large urn with an amaryllis at the gist , he adds in concentric rings of first paperwhite narcissus bulb and then a layer of frillyoxalis . Heath chose these because both amaryllis and paperwhites blossom well indoors without the extra shuddery time period some bulbs need .
Frequently Asked Questions
Amaryllis makewonderful cutting blossom , hold up 10 - 12 24-hour interval in temperatures of 60 - 70 F. Cut when the first bud has colored and poised to open up , making a straight baseball swing along the base ; flowered preservative extends the life of the peak .
An amaryllis vase is a glass vessel that is plan to hold a single bulb above a reservoir of urine so the roots remain hydrated , but the bulb does n’t get too wet . They can have tall sides to aid support the stems of profound efflorescence .
