Now that school is back in session and the weather is beginning to cool off, it won’t be a minute before the holidays are upon us. Now is the time to do what is needed to get your amaryllis ready for their show.
Amaryllis need a dormant period to build that bloom inside the bulb. We can easily facilitate it by taking just a few simple steps now and a little prep closer to the holidays.
1. Bring your bulb in from outside or away from the window and let the soil dry out for a couple of days. The leaves should be long and green, from a season of green growth, helping the plant absorb solar energy. In this example, a new bulb has formed. Cut its leaves too. It may need another year before it is big enough to bloom.
2. After the soil is dry to the touch, cut the leaves to within an inch of the bulb. After the cut, store the bulb for 8 to 12 weeks somewhere dark and cool, preferably at 50 F. Do not freeze the bulb and do not water it. No water at all for the 8 to 12 weeks.
That’s it until 8-12 weeks from now! Simple, right? Now mark you calendar for the date you plan to take the bulb out of dormancy, to remind you to do it.
Then What?
When you take your bulb out of the dark, refresh the potting soil and add a little bulb food to the soil. You may have to stuff the roots back into the pot, but that’s OK. They like being pot bound. Remember to leave one third of the bulb exposed.
Give it a good deep watering. Put it in a warm sunny place. Do not water it again until you see new green growth.
Once the new growth has started, water when the soil dries out. In a few weeks, buds will push out of the bulb and the bloom cycle begins again!