Amaryllis: A Winter Flowering Plant

Amaryllis' are widely known for their large gorgeous blooms. Amaryllis' can be purchased by the bulb or in a pot and ready to bloom at nurseries.

The plant can have one or two stems per bulb. Each stem will have four trumpet-shaped blooms. Amaryllis bulbs which are grown well can produce five flowers per stem.

The leaves will appear later. The leaves are dark green and can grow from one to two feet in height.

They ship amaryllis' from South Africa and America, and the Dutch are known for bulbs. They ship the bulbs as dry bulbs. They sell the bulbs from fall to spring and as a plant.

Propagating an Amaryllis Yourself

Bulblets are the easiest way to propagate an amaryllis. The bulblets are smaller bulbs that grow from the sides of what they call the mother bulb.

We will plant the bulblets in smaller pots after we carefully remove them from the larger bulb. The soil will need to be nutritious so the bulbs will have the proper nutrients while growing. The bulblets will not have any blooms for the first year or two.

We can propagate them from roots and seeds. The root propagating can be hard to achieve, but it can be done if you know how to do this. We can propagate the seeds for an amaryllis as well. When using the seeds for growing an amaryllis, they will need to be kept for a year with high temperatures and high humidity. Greenhouses are the best choice for using the roots or seeds for propagating an amaryllis. This is due to the temperature and humidity being controlled in a greenhouse environment.

Blooming an Amaryllis for Christmas

In order for an amaryllis to bloom in December, the plant will need to be planted in early fall. This will allow the bulb to bloom early in December.

Planting the Bulb for a Christmas Bloom

A mixture of one part course sand and one part rich potting soil place in a pot with a third of the bulb is above the potting mixture. Place a paper hat over the bulb and storing in a warm area that stays at 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit.