Growing a Holiday Beauty

Glorious Amaryllis

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.) is a fascinating, tropical bulb plant that is simple to force into bloom, maintain as a houseplant, and make rebloom. Translated from Greek, Hippeastrum means “knight’s star”, a symbol of pride and strength. Amaryllis also means “to sparkle”, describing its wonderfully showy, vibrant flowers in the shape of a large star.

Whether you are planting a new bulb, or you’re looking to re-bloom a bulb you’ve already been growing, know that Amaryllis prefers the following for best flowering:

steps for success

light, soil & planting

Light | Grow in Part Shade (4-7 hours of direct sunlight) to Bright, Indirect (northern exposure or 5-6′ away from a sunny window).

Soil | Choose a well-drained potting medium like Petitti Potting Mix.

Planting | Select pots with drainage holes, sized 1-2″ wider than the bulb diameter, and leave at least the top one-third of the bulb’s “neck & shoulders” above the soil.

steps for success

water, temperature & fertilizer

Water | Hydrate the bulb’s roots by thoroughly moistening the soil at the time of planting or repotting. Otherwise, keep the soil on the drier side, and avoid watering directly onto the bulb.
Pro tip: supply 1/4 cup of water, once per week, after the bulb produces 2-3″ of growth.

Temperature | Maintain room temperatures of 50-70ºF, keeping the room cool and placing the pot away from heat vents in order to prolong the bloom cycle.

Fertilizer | Feed only during the traditional growing season, which is April to September in Northeast Ohio, with Espoma® Organic Bulb-tone®.

tips & tricks

to keep your Amaryllis blooming

In addition, apply these easy maintenance tricks to keep your Amaryllis looking its best during and after blooming:

Remove yellow pollen sacs to prolong flowering and prevent seed development.
Remove any spent flowers from the top of the stem (scape) right away.
Turn Amaryllis often so it grows straight and does not bend toward the light.
Cut the main scape down to 1” tall after all flowering has finished.
Keep the foliage as healthy as possible year-round. NEVER cut the foliage, as 4 leaves are required to produce 1 flowering scape!

a video guide

to amaryllis care

Amaryllis are one of our favorite winter-blooming bulbs for their vibrant color and showy blooms. Noelle explains just how easy it is to maintain these beauties year-round so they’ll bloom for you year after year. Always an attractive holiday favorite, look for this fascinating beauty in a variety of colors (red, pink, white, orange, multicolor, and striped) with both single and double flowering varieties.