Pay careful attention to Amaryllis and it will live a long life

By Bev Johnson | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, December 29, 2007

Petunia got an Amaryllis, the giraffe of flowers, for a Christmas gift. Petunia has a well-known brown thumb. Her plants are either looking for a life raft or hanging over the edge of the pot with their tongues hanging out. Since neither condition bodes well for her new Amaryllis, it is lucky that directions came with the plant.

Petunia loves the Amaryllis flower, and would like to have the plant re-flower again next year. The first rule is to keep it out of direct sunlight while it is in bloom.

If you got a potted Amaryllis that is about to bloom, put it in a warm sunny spot until the bud shows color, then move it. The cooler temperatures in lower light will prolong blooming time. Be sure, however, you don't go the other route and put them where a cold blast from the door opening or next to a leaky window. They are very sensitive to cold.

Now, to keep the plant for next year, cut off the dead blooms. Leave the flower stalk, ugly as it is, as it will make food for the plant as long as it is green. When it yellows, cut if off.

Put the plant in your brightest window for the winter, remembering to keep it warm.

Keep it watered but only when the soil becomes rather dry. Too much water will rot the bulb. This is why tulips often don't return. A wet fall or summer rots the bulbs.

If you have other houseplants, hide the Amaryllis in the middle of them, as it is a pretty ugly plant without its flowers. Fertilize with half strength fertilizer as you do the other plants, once a month.

In the spring, when you put your other houseplants out under the trees for a summer vacation, move the Amaryllis out, too.

Slowly move it until it is in full sun, then sink the pot in the garden. Amaryllis like to be pot bound so you will probably need to repot it only every three or four years. In the fall, bring all your plants in. Put the Amaryllis in a dark closet and don't water it.

As the leaves shrivel and brown, gently pull them off. Check the pot after about two months. You should see a new green shoot. Bring it into the bright light, full sun, and begin watering it again.

Even if you don't see green, do this. It should trigger new growth. If you don't see a flower stalk, you goofed. The bulb didn't store enough food after the last blooming period. They need full sun just before and after blooming. Don't despair. Just go through the routine again.

Or you could pitch it in the compost and buy another one next Christmas. Enjoy the season.

Bev Johnson is a master gardener for West Otter Tail County.