Plant of the week: Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)

Originally hailing from moderate climate areas like South Africa and Peru, the beautiful and striking amaryllis has been hybridized to fit temperate indoor climates in North America. Grown from bulbs and grown in pots, Amaryllis can be grown in cooler climates because their bulbs were stored at low temperatures. This matures the plant so that the planter only needs to give it the right condition for the amaryllis to bloom.

When selecting amaryllis bulbs, size definitely matters. The bigger, the better. Why? If you get larger bulbs, the more blooms your plant will have. The blooms also tend to be bigger when grown from larger bulbs. One stalk usually produces four flowers. Bulbs of 20 to 24 cm yield two stalks. If you get large bulbs over 28 cm, you can produce three stalks.

Growing amaryllis bulbs require the right lighting, temperature, and fertilizer. Since you are growing your bulbs indoors, make sure you provide them with bright lights during their active growth phase. Once the plant has bloomed, make sure to keep it cool. After the blooms fade, you can increase the temperature again to 70-85° F. In terms of fertilizer, feed your plants with 20-20-20 rations every couple of weeks. Always keep the soil moist during the plant's active growth stage but let it dry out gradually once you hit the middle of summer. Don't use soil-less mixture. You need all purpose soil so your bulb is well-supported. Grow amaryllis in the fall and winter. They will bloom six to eight weeks after you have planted them.