Amaryllis Care

A popular bulbous plant, amaryllis flower is a monotypic genus of plant also known as the Belladonna Lily, naked ladies and the loudspeaker. This flower is very popular among gardeners, as the varieties offer a planter a stunning palate of colors. There are over a hundred varieties that offer amaryllis flowers that are single or double petaled, single or shaded colors, with many patterns; stripped, frilled edges, etc. They do well in beds, borders, edgings and containers.

Taking Care of Amaryllis

The plant is no more than two to three feet tall, and has long leaves about 15-20 inches with an inch in width. One bulb usually produces a couple of tall stalks on which three to four large trumpet-shaped flowers bloom in spring. The colors available are wide; red, bright pink, orange, rose, purple, salmon, white and near white as well.

Planting Amaryllis Bulbs: Amaryllis bulbs are easily available. Choose bulbs as per the color scheme you plan to implement in your garden. Bulbs should be healthy, round or elongated without any damage marks or infection. They should not have leaf sprouts unless you purchase a potted plant. Indoor care as well as outdoor care is more or less the same. For container gardening choose a sandy-loam soil mix with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8, while for planting them in flower beds, elevate soil about ten inches and add a good measure of organic matter to ensure good drainage. Plant the amaryllis bulbs deep enough to cover the root ball, the tip of the bulbs should be left to protrude outside. In flower beds, space the bulbs about 5-8 inches, to avoid overcrowding.

Basic Care: Water the amaryllis keeping the climatic conditions in mind, never let the soil dry out. The bulb needs moisture to renew its growth. A weeks time after planting the bulb, one will notice leaf sprouts. A good amount of sunlight should be ensured for indoor plants, because without adequate light one will be left with a poor flower show. The amaryllis plant will flower in 7-10 weeks, increase water frequency when it begins to bloom. To ensure a longer blooming period, plant bulbs at intervals of 1-2 weeks. One can make the amaryllis flower again, after the flowering is over. Remove flower dead head, and cut back the flower stalk to ground, feed it with liquid fertilizer. New flower stalk will spring in a week's time.

Care After Blooming: After blooming care basically involves ensuring health and multiplication of the bulbs. After all the flowering is over, continue to water and fertilize the plant through spring and summer. The leaves should turn yellow and wilt away on their own, more leaf growth means bulb multiplication. Once all the leaves fall to the ground, dig out the bulb from the soil. Shake off all dirt from it, trim excessively long roots, and dust some fungicide powder before storing them in a mesh bag in a cool dry place. Keep checking every few weeks for fungal growth. One can leave the bulbs in the ground too, just mulch around them to save them from the winter frost.

Proper care will ensure a good prolonged amaryllis flower show, while taking care of the bulbs will ensure that your stock keeps multiplying.