AMARYLLIS
Amaryllis belladonna, is a native of South Africa. Amaryllis is a bulbous plant, with each bulb being 5–10 cm in diameter. It has several strap-shaped, green leaves, 30–50 cm long and 2–3 cm broad, arranged in two rows.
This is an indoor plant and is not frost-tolerant, nor does it do well in tropical environments since they require a dry resting period between leaf growth and flower spike production. Each bulb produces one or two leafless stems 30–60 cm tall, each of which bears a cluster of 2 to 12 funnel-shaped flowers at their tops. Each flower is 10-20 cm diameter with six tepals (three outer sepals, three inner petals, with similar appearance to each other). The usual color is white with crimson veins, but pink or purple also occur naturally. The flowers bloom for up to two weeks.
How to care for the plant you just bought?
Your plant is going to bloom in about 2 to 3 weeks. The flower spike is on its way to develop those beautiful flowers. Water your plant every other day by either pouring about 1 cup of water onto the soil or into the saucer. Place the pot in a bright location but not directly behind glass.
Important: your plant will reach towards the light so turn it every day to keep the flower stock straight.
Once a flower is spend and curls up, I usually break it off just before the seek bulb. Keep doing this until all flowers are gone. Then i cut the naked stalk off with a knife, be careful not to injure the leaves that by now have developed. The stalk contains a lot of water but will dry up quickly to allow the leaves to develop over the next months. l keep my plants watered over the summer and let them die off in the fall by cutting off the water supply. I then remove the yellowing leaves and keep the bulbs in their dry soil until late February in my basement (dark, dry and cool).
At that point, I carefully remove the soil from the bulb and replant them in fresh soil. I often find baby bulbs have developed alongside the mother bulb. These can be removed and planted on their own in a new pot.
Once the bulbs are planted in their new soil, I water them again every second day on the soil. Be caresul not to pour water onto the center of the bulb. Soon you will see the flower stalks developing.
Amarylis bulbs can be kept for many years in a row. For over 10 years, I never lost a single bulb.
Check out the images of a developing flower
This is an indoor plant and is not frost-tolerant, nor does it do well in tropical environments since they require a dry resting period between leaf growth and flower spike production. Each bulb produces one or two leafless stems 30–60 cm tall, each of which bears a cluster of 2 to 12 funnel-shaped flowers at their tops. Each flower is 10-20 cm diameter with six tepals (three outer sepals, three inner petals, with similar appearance to each other). The usual color is white with crimson veins, but pink or purple also occur naturally. The flowers bloom for up to two weeks.
How to care for the plant you just bought?
Your plant is going to bloom in about 2 to 3 weeks. The flower spike is on its way to develop those beautiful flowers. Water your plant every other day by either pouring about 1 cup of water onto the soil or into the saucer. Place the pot in a bright location but not directly behind glass.
Important: your plant will reach towards the light so turn it every day to keep the flower stock straight.
Once a flower is spend and curls up, I usually break it off just before the seek bulb. Keep doing this until all flowers are gone. Then i cut the naked stalk off with a knife, be careful not to injure the leaves that by now have developed. The stalk contains a lot of water but will dry up quickly to allow the leaves to develop over the next months. l keep my plants watered over the summer and let them die off in the fall by cutting off the water supply. I then remove the yellowing leaves and keep the bulbs in their dry soil until late February in my basement (dark, dry and cool).
At that point, I carefully remove the soil from the bulb and replant them in fresh soil. I often find baby bulbs have developed alongside the mother bulb. These can be removed and planted on their own in a new pot.
Once the bulbs are planted in their new soil, I water them again every second day on the soil. Be caresul not to pour water onto the center of the bulb. Soon you will see the flower stalks developing.
Amarylis bulbs can be kept for many years in a row. For over 10 years, I never lost a single bulb.
Check out the images of a developing flower
planted bulb
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first sign of a flower spike
|
flower spike developing
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flower opening up
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flower in bloom
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pink, red and almost white Amaryllis
