I purchased three amaryllis bulbs for forcing this year. 'Ferrari' opened its first flower on Christmas Day and now has at least six blooms on its two stalks. A third stalk and bud are emerging, promising blooms into February. 'Ferrari' is Holland's finest strain of amaryllis, in my view. My other two amaryllis are slower to develop: 'Clown' has two stalks and will flower next, but 'Picottee' is behind with just one bud. 'Ferrari's' revved up bright red petals, however, make up for any shortcomings in the others.
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| Amaryllis Hippeastrum 'Ferrari' |
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| 'Ferrari' bloomed in time for the holidays |
I purchased my three amaryllis online from my favorite nursery, White Flower Farm. You may remember I visited there in July; I blogged about the trip here. I pot my amaryllis bulbs individually in 6-7" pots using a well-drained potting mix. I add water to the mix and stir until it is moist but not soggy. I fill each pot about half full, set the bulb on top and fill in with additional mix. A third of the bulb should be exposed and the top of the mix should be 1/2" below the rim to allow for watering. Firm the mix and water lightly. White Flower Farm provides a layer of decorative Spanish moss to finish off.
Place the pot where the temperature remains above 60 degrees F. Water only when the top inch of the mix is dry or the bulb may rot. Growth usually begins in 2-8 weeks. When growth begins the plants need ample sunshine so I place them in a south-facing window.
In the picture below, you can see how each amaryllis has developed so far:
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| Left to right 'Picottee', 'Ferrari' and 'Clown.' |
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| I place my amaryllis in a south-facing window until they bloom. |
As I don't have blooms on 'Picottee' and 'Clown' I am using the illustrations from the White Flower Farm catalog. Can't wait until mine look like this:
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| Amaryllis Hippeastrum 'Clown' -- photo White Flower Farm |
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| Amaryllis Hippeastrum 'Picottee' -- Photo White Flower Farm |
Once my amaryllis blooms, I take it out of the sunlight and put it in a cooler spot, so the flowers will last longer. My dining-room table is a good place.
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| Once they bloom, place them away from direct sunlight |
I hope to keep my amaryllis for blooming next year. I'll explain how I do it in a future posting.
Did you force bulbs for the holidays? For tips about forcing amaryllis, hyacinths, paperwhites, daffodils and other bulbs, click on this link to read my article in the Pocono Record newspaper.
Wishing all my gardening friends a happy and healthy 2017,
Pamela x
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Happy New Year Pam! I love your choices for winter blooms. I have one. I have tried keeping ones from prior years with no luck so I am waiting to hear how you do it....maybe I will have better luck!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I enjoy the Amaryllis buds as much as the full blooms--such a great addition to your holiday decorations. I have forced them in the past, but I have to put them up very high or in a closed room because my cats like to eat plants. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteI often wish I had a cat again. Then I read your comment ...
Deletemore fun if your three choices each take their turn in the spotlight
ReplyDeleteAt first I was disappointed they didn't all bloom for Christmas. But you are right, Diana. Now I have something to look forward to.
DeleteBeautiful! I didn't get my amaryllises started in time for them to bloom by the holidays but they are coming along nicely now. I am looking forward to January blooms.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why more people don't grow amaryllis this time of year. It's such an easy way for a little winter flower fix!
ReplyDeleteI haven't grown any amaryllis this year and I'm regretting my decision now after seeing yours. Wishing you and your loved ones all the very best for 2017.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you too, Jo!
DeleteHappy New Year Pam. Your red Amaryllis is such a festive plant. It looks so pretty with your tree in the background.
ReplyDeleteI like unusual colors, but you are right that the red one is most suitable for Christmas!
DeleteAnd a Happy New Year to you too, Donna!
DeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDeleteYour amaryllis look exceptionally healthy, you've done an excellent job with them and I love your color choices. Mine are from last year and I don't think they're anything close to growing again, but when they do I hope they do as well!
I'm trying a few tulips and hyacinths in pots this winter as well. It's a first so if you don't hear anything more about it, don't ask! :)
Beautiful amaryllis, Pam. I have 3 from last year that I unpotted and rested during summer and potted up again this fall. Tons of foliage in full sun, but No Flowers, and no sign of them. :-( Don't know what I did incorrectly. Yours certainly do look beautiful. Best wishes for 2017! -Beth
ReplyDeleteIt's probably much easier to buy new each year, but I'm going to try to keep these. I'll let you know how I make out.
DeleteYour Amaryllis are beautiful Pam. I always make it a point to pick one up each year for the holidays. They bring so much joy to the indoors and bloom for a long time. I never thought of ordering them online and would probably get even more enjoyment watching them grow. Maybe I will try that next year. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeletePam, as you know, I'm a huge fan of amaryllis. So lovely and so easy to plant. I have two more going in a windowsill for color in February now. I'm glad you wrote about Ferrari. I need to order it this fall. It and Picotee are my favorites. I did a little dwarf amaryllis this year called Inferno. I appreciated not having to stake it as I worked to get Christmas under way. I did others too. They needed staking. They were just ok.
ReplyDelete