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Amaryllis blooming for Christmas
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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Amaryllis
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I was late in removing my Amyrillas flower stems this year. there was a white pod formed on the stem. In side each there was multiple black disk, thinner than paper. They would blow in the wind. Are these the seeds? If so what is the step by step process to try and grow them?
Yes, the black papery husks contain the seeds. (Seeds of certain amaryllis varieties will be sterile.) If you plant viable seed, they may not produce a plant the looks like the momma plant. Usually, amaryllis is propagated by offsets or cuttings, to maintain the same characteristics. But if you’d like to try planting the seeds, here are some guidelines:
Although eliminating the seed pods before they mature can help reserve energy in the plant for more flowers, you can let a seed pod mature, which takes about 4 or 5 weeks if the flower is pollinated (you can do this by hand, using a brush to transfer pollen from the stamen of one amaryllis to the pistil of another one; each plant can self-pollinate, but you might have less satisfactory results).
When the pods turn yellow-brown and split open, harvest the black, papery seeds inside. Spread them out to dry for a day or so, and then sow them in flats, with the seeds on their edge (just a bit poking above the medium), in well-draining, moist, seed-starting mix, covering them very lightly. Cover the flat with clear plastic or glass to maintain humidity and place in part shade; soil should be about 70 to 75 degrees F. (Some gardeners germinate the seeds by floating them in water; when they form roots, plant them in seed-starting mix.)
Alternatively, if weather is warm, you can sow seeds outside in part shade; thin to 2 to 3 inches apart when seedlings emerge; keep soil lightly moist.
When the seeds germinate (in 4 or so weeks), gradually give the seedlings more light until eventually they are in full sun. Transplant each seedling to a larger (3-inch) pot with light potting soil when the second set of leaves forms and roots develop. Fertilize with half-strength, balanced liquid fertilizer solution every other week. Water to keep moist but not wet. Plant out in one year. The plants will mature and flower in 2 to 5 years, on average.
I put my 5 amaryllis bulbs (that hadn't bloomed in 3 years) outside in full sun in last April. One has now bloomed mid June and is now blooming again July 4. Another one is about to bloom. What do I do with them now? Leave them outside till fall then bring them in? Put them in darkness so they go dormant?
See the directions about for “after bloom”:
Bring it in at the end of August and cut OFF the watering. Let it dry out to induce a period of dormancy. Put the pot in a cool (around <chrome_annotation style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color:rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3);-webkit-text-size-adjust:auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;border-bottom:1px dotted rgb(24, 22, 22);box-sizing:border-box;caret-color:rgb(24, 22, 22);color:rgb(24, 22, 22);font-family:Lora, georgia, serif;font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:auto;text-align:start;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:auto;word-spacing:0px;” role=”link”>50°F</chrome_annotation>), dark place. Pull off any dried-up leaves.
I received my Amaryllis for Mothers day and it came with the bulb in a wax covering. Literally wax. The instructions stated no need for soil or water. It bloomed mid May. The flowers are slowly starting to die off. Can I also expect to have this reflower if I take care of it properly? Should I take out of the wax and place in a pot? It is a very beautiful flower but does not seem to bloom for long. Then again, I do not have an abundance of sunlight hitting my living area. Please advise and thank you for your time.
Hi, Jamie,
Waxed bulbs are intended for single use. They have all they need to bloom, but after that, they are meant to be discarded. You can remove blooms on a stalk once they have faded. Also, if a flower stalk itself is fading, often one or two more will start to grow; if desired, you can cut off the fading flower stalk to encourage more growth. (Leave any leaves, though.)
Once flowering has completed, instead of discarding the bulb, you can try to gently remove the wax (avoid disturbing the brown outer layer of the bulb as best you can). Sometimes the bulb will have plastic wrap underneath the wax, and/or a wire base inserted into the bottom of the bulb; if so, then you want to carefully remove these also. Then, plant the bulb in a pot (not too large—about 1 to 2 inches wider than the bulb, and one with drainage holes) filled with potting soil and set in bright indirect light in a warm area; water sparingly. Make sure that the top 1/3 of the bulb sticks above the soil. Follow care instructions as you would for a regular bulb (as mentioned in the article above).
Hope this helps!
My amaryllis bloomed in May and is putting up a new stalk to bloom again. Definitely very pleased to see the new stalk so soon. My question is about the ball at the top of the first stalk that bloomed, what should I do with it?
Hi, Wynelle,
It sounds like the ball on top of the stalk is not a flower bud but a seed pod. If so, and you do not want to save seed, then you should remove the seed pod so that the bulb’s energy can go into growing more flowers and leaves. If the flower stalk itself is fading, then you can cut the stalk off about an inch above the base. If there are other flowers on the stalk still blooming, then you can remove the seed pod close to where it attaches to the stalk.
Hope this helps!
Hi! I am in the southern most part is South Carolina, zone 8B. I was recently, in March, gifted a amaryllis with 3 blooms. Not knowing any better I planted it in the ground. Should I replant it in a pot and if so when is the best time to do so? Thanks!
Hi Lynn,
In your area, you can certainly grow and keep your amaryllis outdoors year round. If you plan to leave it in the garden, you will want to give it some added protection for colder temperatures by adding a couple inches of mulch in the fall. If you want to bring it indoors for the winter, you will want to wait until the foliage dies back naturally toward the end of the growing season and then dig it up in fall before any threat of frost and plant in a container and bring indoors (see instructions and care tips above for container planting).
Hope this helps!