Huron Hometown News

The large bell-shaped or lily-like flowers of the amaryllis, and its hybrids, make excellent pot plants or gifts for everyone. When growing in containers, amaryllis prefers a sandy loan soil mix. You can mix your own by combining one part leaf mold or composted manure, one part loamy soil, and one part coarse sand. Amaryllis bulbs usually grow to be 2 to 3 feet tall, and each stalk can have from 2 to 6 blossoms. Repotting can be done anytime after the plants have gone through a dormant or rest period, which is late summer or early fall. This is why we see them for sale this time of year in our USDA Zone 5 area. You can order these bulbs from catalogs, or you can purchase them in your general merchandise stores, plus you can find different or special varieties at your local greenhouses. Amaryllis come is an assortment of colors. Mostly we find red, white, pink, variety of oranges and occasionally a yellow bulb for sale. Some are even red and white striped!. However, careful scouting around will bring any number of an assortment from gardening catalogs. This year I found an amethyst-colored amaryllis, and one called ‘Pink Diamond’. Pink Diamond is a large flowered amaryllis with sprinkles of angel dust on its petals, which gives the plant its name. To plant your amaryllis in a pot, choose a pot that is 1 to 1 ½ inches larger than the bulb because amaryllis like to be a bit pot bound. Make sure you have a drain hole in the pot, and fill the pot halfway with potting soil mixed to the directions above. Amaryllis kits come with premixed soil, so there is no worry there. Spread the roots of the bulb gently with your fingers, and place it into the pot. Cover the bulb so that 1/3 of the bulb remains above soil line. Water well, sit in a bright sunny warm window, and watch the amazement begin. Most all bulbs will push one bloom stem, but some have sent up two bulb stems, and most stems have at least four – and some six flowers. The flowers are 4 to 5 inches across on the standard varieties, while the miniature bulbs have flowers about 3 inches across. When the last of the flowers die off, cut the stem down to within 1 inch of the bulb and sit aside to rest. If the second stem does not appear in a couple of weeks, you may sit the plant away from bright light, but keep at least at 55 degrees for a few months. The remaining leaves will whither and die, so just cut them off, and don’t worry about it because the plant needs a rest period. Remember to water the plant lightly during these months so the bulb does not shrink. When spring rolls around next year and the night-time temps are around 60 degrees, you can sit the amaryllis pot outside in a part shady area, and it should start sending up leaves again. Don’t forget to water regularly to keep the soil slightly moist. Some more vigorous plants bloom again in the summer months outside, but some wait and bloom when you bring them inside next fall. Most bulbs start to multiply, and you will have some to share after blooming this year. Whatever they do they are lovely, and well worth the wait for the blooms. For more information, email Mary at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Happy Gardening.