Forcing Bulbs: Amaryllis

I love forcing bulbs to bloom out of season especially during the end-of-year holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Bulbs are easy to grow outside, and just as easy to grow inside. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.) are native to tropical and subtropical Americas, from the Caribbean and Mexico to Argentina.

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.) – day 42

The bulbs are quite large, and the flowers are big and bodacious in shades of red, white, pink, variegated, and more. Depending on the species, each bulb may produce one or two stalks, with each stalk producing two to four flowers. You can purchase bulbs from a variety of sources from hardware stores and garden shops to high-end floral shops. They usually come as a kit with a soilless planting medium such as shredded coir, a container, and the bulb. It is a good idea to opt for the special amaryllis flower stakes to keep the giant blooms upright. The bulbs have been prepped so you can plant immediately, and enjoy watching the fast-growing stems and unfurling blooms.

For this project you'll need:

• One bulb kit from your favorite source
• (Recommended) One amaryllis flower stake per stem 
• (Optional) Shallow bowl or tin, and an old fork

Tooling up – day 1

Stems and leaves – day 20

To grow:

1. Prepare the soil, which typically involves adding water to the compressed coir disk (for example, add 3 1/2 cups water to a three inch disk). Once the water is absorbed, loosen the soil with an old fork. 
2. Optionally, place the root end of the bulb in a shallow pan of water for about 20 minutes. Typically the roots are dry, so this helps "wake them up".
3. Plant the bulb with the pointed end up and just above the soil surface. 
4. Place in a warm room (70 to 75 degrees F. is ideal), but out of direct sun. Keep soil moist, watering more frequently as the leaves grow and flowers open. To extend blooming, try moving the plant to a cooler place in the evening (45 to 55 degrees F.).

Stem and leaves – day 29

Aftercare:

 When the flowers are spent, continue to water and fertilize. When leaves start turning yellow, water only as needed until the foliage dies. Maintain amaryllis indoors or bury pot in semi-shade outside when danger of frost has past. Let dormant amaryllis remain dry through summer. Cut off dry, yellowed foliage just above bulb. Repot every 2 to 3 years. Here in the Bay Area I typically repot the bulbs in large containers (several bulbs to a pot), and keep them outside year round on the covered patio. They typically produce lovely green shiny leaves, and periodically put forth a bloom when the conditions are right. I find the second bloom is not as big and dramatic as the initial bloom, possibly due to my laissez faire treatment, but still very enjoyable.

Instructions are a combination of info from Van Zyverden, Inc. literature, and personal comments.
www.vanzyverden.com (product of Israel)
www.digdropdone.com