6 Steps to Growing Amaryllis Indoors:
Amaryllis come in many different shapes and colors. Pick a color that you enjoy the most and then grab your container and potting soil.- Find a container the size between 6" - 8"
- Fill pot to almost full leaving 1/4 of the dirt out of the pot
- Next add your amaryllis bulb pointed end up
- Add remaining soil but leave the top of your amaryllis uncovered at soil level
- Water only when you start to see growth but sparingly
- Now add your container next to a window or near indirect sunlight
Now wait for the show to begin! But be patient as your bulb accommodates to its new home. It can take weeks for your bulb to sprout. Do not give up early! Some varieties can take longer than others. Typically, you will see a green sprout within two weeks. Once your amaryllis bulb starts to grow it will grow rapidly! Amaryllis bulbs can grow up to an inch a day. It is best to use an amaryllis stake to your pot to keep the stem from falling over. Take photos each day to watch its amazing progress! Are you wondering what to do with the amaryllis after it blooms? You can keep it indoors until Spring. You can plant or keep in a pot in the spring but in order to get it to rebloom, you must allow it to go dormant.
Storing Amaryllis Bulbs
Many people question how to store amaryllis bulbs. The trick is to store in a basement or cool cellar around 50 degrees in late summer/early fall. Around October bring it back to your warm home and wait for new growth to start.
Cease watering your plants completely in mid-august. This will allow the foliage to die back and help the plant go dormant. You can remove the dormant bulbs from the ground and store them in a cold, dry location in the dark.
In about 6-8 weeks' time, you can repot the stored bulbs, commence watering and start looking forward to another season of beautiful, blissful blooms.
Growing Amaryllis Outdoors
Amaryllis can be easily grown outdoors in regions where winter temperatures don't dip under 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The plants perform best in growing sites that receive 6-8 hours of sun on an everyday basis. Good drainage is a must.
In warmer climates, amaryllis bulbs can be planted in fall, around the same time as other spring blooming bulbs. Plant the bulb neck-deep into the soil, so the top one-third part of the bulb is resting above the soil line. Also, make sure the pointed end of the bulb is facing the sky. Allow a gap of 12 to 15 inches between adjacent plantings. Water thoroughly.
During the next couple of weeks, water just enough to keep the soil moist as too much moisture can cause the rots to rot. Once the plants develop a couple of pairs of leaves, switch to watering them on a regular basis. Taller varieties of amaryllis can stoop under the weight of the flowers and hence require staking. Use a sturdy wooden pole to stake amaryllis plants and use a piece of string or twine to tie them the stem to the stake in 3-4 separate spots.
Amaryllis plants relish regular fertilization. Use a well-balanced fertilizer to feed your plants. Remove amaryllis flowers as they die, along with all faded leaves. As temperatures dip, stop watering your plants. The foliage will soon dry out and die. But there's no need to panic because winters are the resting period for these lovely plants. Once the cold season bids adieu, amaryllis plants will be back to enthral your senses!
Outdoor amaryllis usually emerge the surface early in the spring season. Fertilizing, using a balanced fertilizer at this point, will give them a useful boost. You may feed the plants again, up to 2 times during the growing season, whenever they reveal signs of needing additional nourishment.