Amaryllis Care

Amaryllis, having the scientific name of ‘Hippeastrum’, is a native plant of South America's tropical regions. It has tall stems, on which Lily-like flowers grow. It is a very popular indoor plant, mainly because of the large flowers which grow on it and the ease with which one can bring the plant to bloom. Amaryllis comes in a number of varieties, including various shades of red, white, pink, salmon and orange. You can even get striped and multicolored varieties of the plant. In this article, we have provided information that will help you take care of your Amaryllis plant.

Amaryllis Bulb Growing Tips

For potting your amaryllis plant, take a heavy 6-8” pot. A light pot might tilt later, under the pressure of the plant. Put loose, rich, potting soil in it and plant the bulb (end pointing upwards). Plant it lightly; in such a way that 1/3^rd of the amaryllis bulb remains above the soil line.
Always keep the pot in a sunny location. Do not water the pot frequently till you can see about 2 inches of growth. Rather, there should be a long interval between two watering sessions.
After the bulb has grown to atleast two inches in height, start watering it on a regular basis.
As the plant begins to grow inside the pot, make sure to turn it periodically. This will help the stalk to grow up straight.
After the blooms start to grow on the stems of the plant, keep the pot out of direct sunlight. This will prolong the life of the blooms.

Taking Care of Amaryllis Plant

After your amaryllis plant has started giving flowers, it is the time to take proper care of it. Read on know some tips for the same.

Amaryllis comes in a number of varieties. Usually, a single plant has 2-3 stems, each one of them giving 3-4 flowers. You do not require to stake miniature amaryllis, since they reach the height of only 15-20”. However, large amaryllis need support stake, after reaching 2 feet in height.
After the flowers grown on the amaryllis plant have faded, cut the flower stalk. The stalk should come within 1 inch of the top of the bulb, after pruning.
Make sure to water and feed the plant on a regular basis. For the purpose, you can make use of a liquid houseplant fertilizer.
Somewhere around mid-August, start making the watering sessions very infrequent. This will dry the pot completely and help the leaves in dying naturally.
After the leaves die completely, cut the leaves to about 2 inches from the top of the bulb. Now, remove the bulb from the soil.
The bulb should be properly cleaned and then stored in a cool, dark and dry place. The storage time will be atleast 8 weeks.
Repot the bulb in fresh potting soil 5-8 weeks before you want the flowers to start blossoming. Thereafter, continue with the steps mentioned under ‘Amaryllis Bulb Growing Tips’ heading.

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