Autumn is here and Christmas is just around the corner. This time of year always goes by like a flash of lightning. It’s also the time of year that every gardener should start planning when they should take in their amaryllis plants inside in order to force them to bloom indoors for the holiday season. Follow my steps and your holidays will be full of colorful amaryllis blooms.
Materials
- Amaryllis plant
- Potting Soil (if necessary)
- Planter Pot (if necessary)
Method
- Determine what date you want your amaryllis to rebloom. Count backward from that date to find when to take your amaryllis inside. In general, it takes an amaryllis 12 – 15 weeks total to rebloom.
- If you planted your amaryllis bulbs in the ground over the summer then you will need to dig up the plant & pot it up. Make sure to use potting soil, garden soil is not good for indoor potted plants.
- Bring your amaryllis plant inside on your chosen date in order to create a dormancy period for the bulb. Cut off any dead leaves & place in a dark and cool place. Water your plant until water comes out of the pot holes at the bottom.
- Keep your amaryllis in it’s cool & dark location for about 5 – 6 weeks. Do not water during this time. Cut off all dead leaves.
- After 5 – 6 weeks, pull the amaryllis out of its location & place in a sunny spot near a window for another 6 – 8 weeks. A south-facing window is ideal. Give it a good watering.
- Wait until the bulb pushes out new leaves before watering again. Continue watering whenever the soil feels dry.
- Amaryllis leaves are the first to appear out of the bulb, the flower stalks will follow. Once the flower stalks appear, the flowers will bloom soon. Continue watering when the soil is dry.
- Enjoy!
Tips
- Amaryllis bulbs are good as long as they are still firm to the touch.
- You can grow the bulbs in a vase with pebbles and water, but you will need to pot them up after they bloom.
- If you have multiple bulbs you can force them to bloom at different times in order to get a longer flowering season.
Don’t have any amaryllis plants? Go out & buy some this fall! Your local garden center carries many different types of amaryllis in holiday colors like red & white. They are super easy to grow and it’s a real pleasure having flowers growing inside the house during the winter time. I can’t imagine celebrating the holiday season without amaryllis & paperwhites (go out & buy those too!)
The Plantiful Gardener 