Last updated on December 2nd, 2011
THE DON JUAN OF THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN is surely the King’s Court Amaryllis (Hippeastrum). Here is a plant that never fails to seduce, each bulb pushing up one or more sturdy stalks bearing three to six giant flowers which are pure white, deep red, apple blossom pink, or crimson-orange (like ‘Desire,’ pictured above). Under good culture, amaryllis will rebloom year after year:
The bulbs usually need at least six weeks for thorough root development, and then three or four more weeks to perfect the flowers. If these do not appear and only a disappointing amount of leaf growth develops, the amaryllis can usually claim one of three alibis — it was not sufficiently cared for during the summer months; it has been planted too deeply, or it has been given such an oversize pot that all its energies have gone to filling the container with roots.
Thus, flowering-success begins with a clay pot which is only one or two inches larger than the diameter of the bulb. A six-inch pot is usually right. Place a piece of broken pottery over the drainage hole, then add a quantity of light, fluffy soil. Set the bulb high enough so that its top half rests above the surface of the soil.
Next, water well, and permit this tropical traveler to make its roots in a dark, cool place (50-60 degrees). During the following six to eight weeks little watering will be required, probably not more than once every 10 days.
After roots have sufficiently filled the pot, the plant will send up a flower bud. When this appears move the amaryllis to a sunny window. Water sparingly until the bud is 4 inches tall, then be more generous as growth indicates a greater need for moisture. Begin feeding the plant, too. I feed mine with every watering, but I use only a pinch (a 1/4 teaspoon) of an all-purpose plant food per gallon of water.
When, at last, every blossom has faded, promptly cut off the flowering stalks. Your amaryllis is now a handsome, strappy-leaved houseplant that you must care for as faithfully as when it was in flower. For it is now and through the summer — when it is set in the semi-shaded garden — that the bulb is producing the embryo blooms which you are depending on for next year.
Consequently, continue to provide food and water until September first. Then lay the pot on its side (to avoid rainfall), and let the soil dry out. When the foliage turns yellow and becomes loose, remove it, and bring the plant indoors to a dark and cool place. Water will not be needed more than once every three weeks during this well-deserved winter rest.
Check the plant occasionally from November on, although signs of growth are not likely until January. When the green point appears, scrape away the top soil and replace with a fresh mixture.
So cared for, your amaryllis will provide an abundance of huge, lily-like blooms year after year.
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Erika says
Well, that explains why my mother's Apple Blossom amaryllis didn't bloom this year. She kept it in the house during summer, and I doubt she fed it even once. Any hope that it will bloom next year, with better care? It's growing lots of leaves right now.
Carol says
I have a white amaryllis that someone gave me. The flowers are opening now, and I swear they are 10 inches across!!! Thanks for the growing details…I plan to keep this Don Juan for a very long time.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Erika – Give your mother's Apple Blossom amaryllis lots of love and attention (food, water and light) from now through summer, and then a dormant rest. It will bloom beautifully next winter. I promise.
Carol – Glad you like the details. I never know if I'm providing TMI.
Randy J. says
Kevin,
I have a few of the Papilio improved. I have found that they do not rebloom every year, but as mine are only a few years old I am hoping that will change in time. Of course I could also give them a bit more attention in the summer! I also have 3 varieites of the Cybister Amaryllis which are also evergreen. I have found that they also do not bllom every year. What gives me hope is that I was given an Amaryllis 2 years ago by a friend who unfortunately could not tell me which variety it is, but the flowers are the same scale as the Cybister Amaryllis (the individual flowers are similar in size to the Tawny Daylilies that grow along the sides of the roads up here) and it has bloomed both years that I have had it with 3 stalks last year and 5 stalks this year. I do think that I need to repot my Papilo Improved and my Cybister Amaryllis as the evergreen varieties seem to prefer a bit more room, though they still like being high in the pot (in the pot of bulbs that I was given 2 years ago many of the bulbs are actually proud of the rim of the pot!).
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Randy J – do send pictures of your Cybister Amaryllis when it is in bloom! Send to [email protected]
Betty819 says
When purchasing these Amaryllis in a box as a gift or for yourself, how can you determine how many blooms it should have? My neighbor gave me a beautiful ” Red Lion” plant/kit for Christmas and it only had 1 bloom. It has finished blooming and I cut off the dried blossum and then cut the foliage down to the top of the bulb. A gardening friend told me that I did wrong. Said something about putting in in garage so foliage can die back, then I could plant it in my flower beds and it will rebloom again. My dear MIL used to replant them in her flowerbeds..but I don't know if she took the bulb out of the pot or planted the entire pot in the garden.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Betty819 – As I mentioned in the article above, once the flowering period is over, feed and water the amaryllis just as you would your other houseplants. It needs those strappy leaves to make food for future flowers.
Jenny says
I planted the seeds from my amaryllis last winter, and now have 12 little pots with teeny little greens growing. From what I have read, it will take a few years for them to be large enough to actually bloom, but I was quite pleasantly surprised that they took root and grew! Stay tuned. 🙂