Jump to a Section
Plant Overview
Share
The glossy , strap - shaped leaves and striking trumpet flowers of Amaryllis land welcome colour and brightness to the home in the astuteness of winter somberness . Provided the bulb is planted at the right prison term , the spectacular flowers will bring additional sunshine to the Christmas board to complement the mulled wine and roast turkey .
There is confusion in the horticultural reality about the name . The trueAmaryllis belladonna , sometimes originate in UK gardens as the ‘ bare lady ’ , belongs to a genus that hails from South Africa . The ‘ Christmas ’ indoor Amaryllis derives from a kinfolk of 90 species that uprise from the Americas . They were break by experts into the genusHippeastrumin 1987 , but the original name has stuck , and the confusion persist ! This article is about growing and give care for the magnificent Amaryllis bulb that has become one of our most pop Christmas theatre plants .
The nameHippeastrumis said to come from the resemblance of the blossom to a horse ’s morning star , a familiar flailing medieval arm , from the Greek ‘ hippeus ’ ( knight ) and ‘ astron ’ ( lead ) .
Hippeastrumspecies have been selectively breed since the early nineteenth century to produce a vast assortment of expectant , colourful flowers . In the UK , these take to be arouse as house plants for the winter , though the skunk can be placed outside in the summer , and – if allowed a dormancy period – they can be brought back inside to blossom once again in the observe winter .
Amaryllis Care
Amaryllis bulbs purchase from a garden centre or supermarket should be carefully checked to ensure firmness and good condition . Soft bulbs may be showing the first sign of decomposition , or may have been stored unsuitably . Select the declamatory bulbs , as these be given to bring forth more peak . Keep the light bulb in a cool , dry position until planting time .
Bulbs can be planted from October through to March , and staggered plantings can be used to produce a succession of blooms to provide a centerpiece for the table right through the winter . The medulla generally bloom approximately six to eight week after planting , so the end of October is the target planting date for Christmas colour .
Most supermarket plants come complete with pot and compost , but for loose bulbs , choose a pot that is just rich and big enough to give the roots elbow room , but to keep the plant confined . For an median single bulb , pick out a toilet that is 20 cm cryptic and around 4 cm wider than the bulb itself . insure that the pot has plenty of drainage holes , and cover these with sturdy broken crocks to retain the compost and to give the pot some stability – the plant can get a little top - heavy when in full efflorescence .
Before planting the bulb , rehydrate its beginning by position it on top of a jar or cup of warm weewee so that only the roots get lactating . The base of the bulb itself should be kept clear of the water . pass on the roots to pawn like this for close to an hour .
Meanwhile prepare the compost for planting . Mix a handful of perlite into some John Innes No . 2 or multipurpose potting compost , add a layer into the bottom of the mass and dampen . Only the bottom two - third gear of the light bulb will need to be covered , so adjust the depth of the layer consequently . Once rehydrated , gently tease and spread the stem and place the bulb onto the compost . Backfill around the bulb with the rest of the compost , remembering to keep the top third of it clear of the compost .
Place the pot in a brilliantly lit position at around 21 ° C and H2O regularly but meagerly until the new leaves develop . Once the leaves are produce well , increase the amount of water given , but never waterlog the compost and admit any superfluous water to drain from the base of the hatful . Apply a balanced house plant liquid state fertilizer once a week .
When the flowers set out to spread out , move the pot to a slightly cooler position , ideally around 18 ° C , but still with plenty of light . This will exsert the life of each flower . Plants on windowsills will by nature rise towards the lighting , so release the mass a few times each day to secure that the stem continues to grow flat upwards . Varieties with large bloom may benefit from staking with a cane .
Each individual blossom will last a twosome of weeks before turning brown . thin off each bloom as it fades , and then when the integral stem has finished , reduce the whole thing back down to its fundament , just above the bulb .
With a small tender loving attention , the industrial plant can be keep to bloom again the following year . To achieve this , keep the leaves growing by go along lacrimation , and use a house plant fertiliser occasionally . The container can be moved to an unwarmed greenhouse or placed outside in a sheltered position once frosts have passed . lay off watering and feed at the end of August , and when the leaves set out to turn yellow cut them back to around 5 cm from the top of the bulb . Keep the bulb in the pot and move it to a cool but frost - free shoes such as a shed or garage , ideally at around 10 ° C , for at least two months so that it becomes dormant . By bringing the batch back indoors and re - set forth the watering and eating cycle , the bulb can be persuaded to blossom again some 6 weeks or so later .
Light requirements
Keep rise Amaryllis plant in a bright , warm , cheery place , ideally at about 20 ° cytosine , away from clear window or other root of draughts .
Watering
Water the compost oftentimes but meagrely . Do not tolerate it to dry out completely but avert overwatering , and do not leave the pot stand in a tray of excess water .
Soil conditions
Amaryllis do best in a fat and well - drained compost such as John Innes No . 2 with a good smattering of perlite or horticultural moxie .
Fertilisers
run weekly with a good calibre , high caustic potash house flora fertiliser or liquid tomato fertiliser when the efflorescence start to appear .
Repotting
Amaryllis do not appreciate ascendant disturbance , and flower better when somewhat root constrained . They should therefore not be re - potted unless necessary , and certainly not for the first two or three years if they are being kept from one wintertime to the next . Provided there is a 1 cm to 2 cm gap between the bulb and the edge of the stack , keep itin situ , though the top few cm of compost can be cautiously slay and replaced with fresh compost to reinvigorate it a little when it is fetch indoors again to pop re - growth in the autumn .
If the lightbulb does out - acquire the lot , look until flowering has finished , then transfer cautiously the bulb complete with its foliation into a new , only slightly bigger skunk before placing alfresco for the spring and summertime .
Looks good with
Amaryllis have enough of a striking presence to more than harbor their own as individual specimen on the table or windowsill . However , a cluster of the bulb with complementary coloured prime can be exhibited together in a larger container , or they can also be used with other bay window and vase as a Christmas tabular array arrangement . A tall , red Amaryllis at the centre of a grouping of Poinsettias can make a theatrical feature , or they can be used alongside marvelous vases of berried holly and Lusitanian laurel wreath and dry winter twigs of birch and hazel to bring about a striking centrepiece . With heedful arrangement , the sprig can ply the additional benefit of natural funding to the taller Amaryllis flower stem .
Many other creative ideas can be used , such as the use of coloured glass bowls rather of weed , and these seem good with a moss lining around the compost . Amaryllis in containers intended for later wintertime or former spring inflorescence can be planted with other suited spring flowering bulbs likehyacinths , Narcissus papyraceusor the doubleNarcissus‘Erlicheer ’ .
Pruning
Amaryllis do not need pruning , but pass flowers should be removed , and then the whole flower stem cut down back to just above the bulb when all of the efflorescence have gone over .
Amaryllis Propagation
Most of the bulb that are bought from supermarkets and garden centres for Christmas planting are mint grow by specialist nurseries throughin vitrotissue micro - multiplication . With specialist equipment , it is possible to raise around 500 unseasoned plantlets from a single mother bulb in just eight weeks . At home , Amaryllis can be propagate from offset bulb or by germ , but both require a lot of patience , as it will be a number of age before the effort is rewarded with flower .
found medulla that have performed well and been cautiously nurtured through several summers may develop bulb offset around the main bulb . These should be entrust attached until large enough to sprout leaves and flower stems in their own right , as they are unconvincing to prepare successfully if come off when still small . This may take a dyad of years from when they first look .
Amaryllis plant evoke from home - roll up seed will not come dependable , and any seed - derive stock can take five years or more to reach maturity and flush . The seed should be sown fresh from the works in the springiness , using a free draining ejaculate compost in individual pots . Some bottom heat will assist germination and the pots should ideally be kept at a temperature of around 20 ° C .
Keep the seedlings moist and feed weekly with a oecumenical house plant fertilizer from around six hebdomad after sprouting . They can be potted on into progressively larger pots , but always taking great care not to damage or disturb the root word - ball , and never giving the roots too much space to produce into . They need to be sustain in a warm and promising place year - round of golf until bulbs that are gravid enough to flower imprint decent . This may take up to six years from sowing .
Amaryllis Problems
Amaryllis arise indoors tend to be passably smoke - proof when it come to pests and diseases , though if they are put alfresco for the summer the foliage can be attacked by lick or escargot . Very seldom , piteous quality medulla oblongata may suffer from bulb scale mite or large narcissus bulb fly . By the time the trouble is unmistakable , it is unfortunately generally too late to save the incandescent lamp , which should be destroyed .
Over - water plant life or those kept indoors in less well ventilated , sub - optimum conditions may occasionally suffer from fungous diseases .
Bulbs that fail to flower may previously have been dried off and induced into dormancy too early , they may be in condition with too little luminousness , or they may have been under - watering during the previous summertime .
Amaryllis Varieties
Most of the innovative commercial-grade hybrids that are available from garden centres and supermarkets are derive from just a few of the metal money , includingHippeastrum vittatum , H. leopoldii , H. reginaeandH. aulicum . There are more than 600 registered cultivar , and specialist nurseries stock up a bewildering array of red , purple , pinkish , white and even green flowers in individual and bivalent forms . prime bulbs should offer two stems , each with at least four flower .
Different provider apply various epithet to describe hybrids and cultivars , such as ‘ Large Flowering ’ , ‘ Dutch ’ and ‘ Royal Dutch ’ , but essentially there are five case that are commonly sell . These are single flower , double flower , miniature , trumpet and elephantine Amaryllis .
Hippeastrum puniceum ‘ Bestseller ’
As its name might indicate , ‘ Bestseller ’ is one of the most popular motley . It reliably produces up to six 15 cm deep reddish flowers on a robust stem up to 35 curium high , and has the RHS Award of Garden Merit .
Hippeastrum ‘ Lady Jane ’
This is another coloured pinkish variety , though ‘ Lady Jane ’ has a more salmon - pink colour and semi - double flowers .
Hippeastrum ‘ Chico ’
‘ Chico ’ is one of the most distinctive Amaryllis varieties because of its green and imperial spidery flowers with very prominent but fragile hanging stamens . The bloom stems arise up to 50 centimeter marvellous .
Hippeastrum ‘ Belinda ’
‘ Belinda ’ has magnificent 18 cm to 20 atomic number 96 cerise flowers with scarlet nerve center on 50 atomic number 96 tall fore . The bulb should produce two stalwart stems and each will carry four to six flowers over several week through the wintertime . It has the RHS Award of Garden Merit .
Hippeastrum puniceum ‘ Green Magic ’
‘ Green magic ’ has the palest gullible flowers that are almost ivory - white , with delicate pink margins and streaks on some of the petals . Its blossom stem grow to 60 cm tall .
Hippeastrum ‘ Red Lion ’
The prominent , deep scarlet bloom of youth of ‘ Red Lion ’ just scream Christmas , matching the intensiveness of holly berries and traditional red Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree baubles . It is another RHS Award of Garden Merit succeeder .
Hippeastrum puniceum ‘ Star of Holland ’
This RHS Award of Garden Merit winner spring up up to 50 curium tall . Its typically funnel - shape , nodding , burnished coral - coloured bloom have livid throats and stripes and acquire to 15 cm in diameter .
Hippeastrum puniceum ‘ Christmas Gift ’
This Amaryllis cultivar with a very appropriate name hold flower with pure blanched petals and with a pale chickenhearted - green throat . Each bulb should produce three 50 curium stems of four to six heyday .
Hippeastrum ‘ Black Pearl ’
The 60 centimetre grandiloquent ‘ Black Pearl ’ has some of the recondite coloured heyday of all of the Amaryllis cultivars . The recondite maroon has an almost silky look when the sunlight catches them from certain angles .
Hippeastrum puniceum papilio
This species is an strange Amaryllis with greenish white flowers that have purple streak . They await a lilliputian like large orchid flowers at first glance . The electric-light bulb can be encouraged to sprout by planting and watering at around 10 ° C , and it should be moved to a warmer position at approximately 15 ° vitamin C when bud start to show .
FAQs
If an Amaryllis has perform well for you and you like the coloration of the peak , it is deserving drop just a picayune sentence and wish on it so that it will do its thing again for you next twelvemonth . Allowing it some time in the summer sunshine to replenish the bulb ’s reserves and then inducing a couple of month of dormancy is not hard , and it seems a shame to discombobulate aside such a beautiful flora with a possible lifetime of sixty or seventy years ! As it geezerhood , it should also start to grow some offsets , providing the potential for multiple plant in future year . Well care for bulb will also increase in sizing , and potentially produce more heyday as the years go by .
How utile was this post ?
tap a star to rate it !
Average rating5/ 5 . Vote count:5
No votes so far ! Be the first to rank this Charles William Post .
As you found this C. W. Post useful …
