If you buy a loose bulb, you can get excellent results
by choosing the largest bulb. These bulbs will produce a large number
of flowers and additional stalks for a longer season of bloom.
Use a pot only 2 inches wider than the bulb itself, because amaryllis
do best when they are comfortably pot-bound. A standard soil mix works
well for them. First, cut off any dead or unhealthy roots emerging from
the base of the bulb, leaving only those that look strong and are firm.
Fill the pot half full of soil mix, set bulb on it, and add enough soil so that
nearly half of the bulb will be above the surface of the soil. Place pot in
a room where it gets half to full sunlight a day. Water it thoroughly after
planting and about once a week thereafter, or more often if the soil is dry.
Rotate the pot occasionally so the stalk will grow straight.
Once the blooms are open if you want to lengthen the bloom time
it is best to keep the plant out of direct sunlight and in a cool location.
It is not unusual for the leaves to grow after, during or before the bulb has bloomed.
Saving the Amaryllis Bulbs from Year to Year
It is necessary to rebuild the bulbs energy if you want it to produce flowers
the following year. After the blooms have faded, cut off these finished flower stalks
but leave the foliage on the bulb. Place the pot back in a room where it gets
half to full sunlight a day. Use a liquid fertilizer once a month or add Osmocote
on top of the soil for a slow time release fertilizer. Continue to water
the plant once a week or as needed. The leaves should stay green and continue
to grow while re-energizing the bulb through the summer. You can also place the pot outside for the summer under a shade tree. Continue to water and fertilize.
At the end of summer when the kids go back to school, stop watering the bulb. When the soil is dry, cut off the leaves and store the bulb in a cool dark location.
The bulb needs 8 weeks of rest. Then it can be brought out.
Repot the bulb using fresh soil. The cycle begins again!
