How to brighten winter central Pa. days with the amaryllis plant
The gray overcast winter days that we experience in central Pennsylvania can start to wear on one’s outlook, so I was thinking what could I do to brighten up my environment. If you have eaten at the North Atherton Waffle Shop, you have probably observed from time to time a beautiful amaryllis on the window by the check out. This is the result of the “green thumb” of Gary Geszvain, a loyal customer, who grows beautiful amaryllis and shares them with the staff at the Waffle Shop.
The amaryllis is a popular indoor plant in the winter and spring, with its large lily-shaped flowers on tall stem. The amaryllis is not winter hardy here in Centre County, so will not survive if planted outdoors. The amaryllis is for indoor blooms on a yearly cycle. If you provide the proper care, the bulb will flower again each year.
The bulb does not require pre-cooling to be forced, as do daffodils and tulips. Newly purchased bulbs should be kept in a cool, dry location with air circulation until they can be planted. The bulb must not be frozen. If the bulb is not already potted when purchased, choose a pot about half-again as wide as the bulb because the bulb prefers to be pot bound. A normal bulb fits in a 6 to 8 inch diameter pot. The pot must have drainage hole(s) in its base.
Pot the bulb in good sterile planting medium so that the top third of the bulb (including the neck) is above the soil. This ensures that no water placed on the surface of the soil will go down into the bulb’s neck. It is not necessary to put fertilizer or other supplements such as bone meal with the bulb.
Begin the forcing process 6-8 weeks before the bloom is desired. Water the potted bulb once thoroughly. Do not water regularly until the new green growth appears at the top of the neck. If the soil dries out before that time, water no more than once per week, preferably from the bottom of the pot. The bulb is developing roots to bring moisture into it. Excessive watering at this stage will rot the bulb.
Overwatering at the beginning of amaryllis growth is the main reason for failure. Keep the plant at room temperature. Growth may be thin flat green leaves, a flower stem that is rounded and topped with a “knob” bud or combination of the two. After this point, water whenever the soil below the top inch is dry — no more than once every three days. The best way to water is by placing the pot in a pan of water of a level halfway up on the pot’s height, to allow the soil to draw up the water through the base of the pot. Don’t plant in a sealed pot; don’t let the pot sit in water for long periods. As the stem and leaves grow, it may be a good idea to provide a support with a stick or wire to hold up the flower stem. At the top of each main stem is a bud case, which contains the flowers. This will enlarge, and open, revealing the flowers. At first the flowers are green, and will develop their color over a period of days before the petals unfold. At the time that the flowers are opening, ensure the plant is moist, without drowning it.
Typically, each flower stem produces four blooms, which open with 2-3 days of each other. Large diameter bulbs may produce more than one stem at a time. Once the blossoms open, keeping the plant in a cool, shaded room (65 degrees Fahrenheit) will prolong the bloom. Heat and light causes the bloom to wither. Blooms may last several days to a week.
When each bloom withers, cut the flower off just in back of the bloom, removing the green “lump” in back of the blossom, and the thin stem connecting the bloom to the main flower stem. This is done so the plant does not waste energy trying to form seeds behind each bloom. Once all the blooms are spent and removed, cut the main stem off 2 inches above the bulb. Put the plant back into normal light, water as necessary. If the plant did not have many leaves at the time of bloom, it many produce many leaves now.
In the summer, your amaryllis can be put outdoors, preferably in a sunny location. You may plant the pot and all as this protects the bulb from chewing and tunneling insects. Also, amaryllis prefer being pot bound and do not like being transplanted from pot to garden. Water and fertilize as with any other plant. Ensure that the pot will drain so water will not collect and rot the bulb.
Toward the end of summer, the leaves may yellow and wither. Bring the plant in before the first frost. Cut off the dead leaves at the top of the bulb’s neck. Let the live leaves remain. Keep the bulb in its pot. At this point the bulb has an extensive root system unlike a newly purchased bulb. For the bulb to flower again, we must stimulate its life cycle, and force it to go dormant. Put the potted amaryllis in a cool (55 degrees Fahrenheit), dimly lit place such as a cellar for 6-8 weeks. You should not water the bulb. As the leaves yellow and wither, cut them off at the top of the bulb’s neck.
End the dormant period when you are ready to start the blooming period once more. Start the forcing process 6-8 weeks before you want blooming. Remove the top 1/2 inch of soil from the pot and replace with new soil. Do not remove the bulb from the pot. Water the bulb once thoroughly. Begin the cycle as if this were a newly purchased bulb.
Doing this you can enjoy the beautiful flowers year after year as Gary does and shares with the ladies and the customers at the North Atherton Waffle Shop.