Plant them in timeAMARYLLIS BULBS

you can plant amaryllis bulbs from october till may

For more information about �ower bulbs, planting tips and nice ideas:

www.bulbsonline.org.

FKCA-E

Location and careThe most important factor for stem development is heat, so put the pot with the amaryllis in a warm place in the light. Normal room temperature (20°C) is perfect. Do not give the bulb much water until the stem starts to emerge. As soon as the bud and leaves appear, the amaryllis will require increasing quantities of water every day. The stem will now grow very rapidly and, once mature, will start to produce � owers.

Controlling the � owering periodAmaryllis bulbs are available until the month of April. Their � owering period depends on various factors. During the winter, there will be about six to ten weeks between planting and � owering. During the spring, this time will be somewhat shorter. This means that if you plant the bulbs at intervals, you can enjoy � owering amaryllises for months at a time.

Amaryllis: a bulb bursting with energy!

In recent years, the Amaryllis has become a trendy bulb and one that can easily produce � owers even without being planted. This big bulb is packed with so much energy that it doesn’t need soil to produce � owers! (The stem, however, will be shorter than normal.)Tip: Buy 3 or 5 large amaryllis bulbs and immerse then in a container of water for an hour. Then place the bulbs in a glass container or in a shallow container with some decorative driftwood. The stems will start taking on unique shapes because the � owers that will emerge later always grow upwards/toward the light! Within a few weeks, you’ll be delightfully surprised!

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• Make sure that about half of the bulb is above the soil level.• You should use potting soil of good quality.• Be careful not to damage the roots.• If you remove the faded � owers promptly, the bulb will not invest

any energy in the production of seeds, and the other � owers will remain in bloom longer.

Before planting, immerse the bulbs in lukewarm water for an hour; this encourages the formation of roots. Then choose a pot or container in which the bulb and its roots can easily � t but that is not too roomy: if you can just stick your � nger between the side of the pot and the bulb, the pot us just the right size. Place potsherds or ceramic granules over the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot in such a way that excess irrigation water can always drain out properly. Start putting potting soil into the pot and then put the bulb on top of it. Continue � lling with potting soil, but leave at least half of the bulb exposed above the soil level (see illustration). Do this as carefully as possible so as not to damage the roots. After planting, press down � rmly on the potting soil.

Once its � owers have faded, you can get your amaryllis to � ower again next year by giving it the right care. After � owering, cut the old � owers off and allow the leaves to continue growing. Supply water and houseplant fertiliser on a regular basis. In September, stop watering the bulb. In October, cut the leaves off to just above the bulb. In January, remove the old roots and then pot up the bulb again in fresh potting soil. The chance is good that the bulb will be in � ower again in March. You will notice, however, that newly purchased bulbs provide the best � owering results. This is because they have just completed a three-year process of preparation. And this is why amaryllis bulbs usually cost somewhat more than other � ower bulbs. But they are more than worth it!

Planting

Important:

Flowering the second year

Getting an amaryllis to produce � owers during the winter months and around Christmas is not dif� cult, and it is very satisfying. And you don’t need much to do it either. The effect is spectacular, and you get to enjoy weeks of breathtakingly beautiful � owers.

The Amaryllis (of� cial name: Hippeastrum) comes originally from tropical South America. The most familiar ones are the large-� owering kinds in white and various tints of red, salmon and orange. Some amaryllis varieties produce � owers in more than one colour such as pink with white.

Plant them in timePlanting period: from October to the end of AprilFlowering: from November to the end of MayIf you do not plant the bulbs immediately after purchase, keep them in a location where the temperature is around 9�C (50�F).

How to get started:• Buy bulbs that feel � rm to the touch; the larger the bulb, the more � owers it will produce.

• If you bought several bulbs, plant them at intervals of fourteen days; this way, you can be enjoying the beauty of amaryllises throughout the winter months.

• Choose a large pot with a hole at the bottom for drainage and � ll it with good potting soil.

You can buy these bulbs in a range of sizes starting at 24/26 (the circumference of the bulb measured in centimetres). Larger bulbs generally produce more stems and more � owers.

Plant them in time

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