GROWING AMARYLLIS
FAMILY: Amaryllidaceae
also known as
genus Hippeastrum with several species. It is a tender
bulb that originates
in the South American tropics. If given the right
growth conditions, it can
flower year after year.
These are excellent pot
plants for the home because they are easy
to grow and care for, and the strap-like green leaves are
attractive.
The flowers are usually large, showy and lily-like, with 2-4
or more
flowers
at the end of a long stalk. Colors range from white to red,
with several color variations in between, depending on the hybrid.
Shown below are several beautiful varieties of
Amaryllis from:
http://www.usna.usda.gov/PhotoGallery/HippeastrumGallery/AmaryllisA-L.html
photos by Patrick Lynch
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Amalfi'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Amourette'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Amputo'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Amputo'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Apple Blossom'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Baby Star'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Basuto'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Blossom Peacock'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Blossom Peacock'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Carnival'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Charisma'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Charmeur'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Desert Dawn'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Double Queen'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Double Queen'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Emerald'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Emerald'
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Hippeastrum species
H. evansiae
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Fairy Tale'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Gold Medal'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Grandeur'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Green Goddess'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Hercules'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Hermitage'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Jewel'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Jewel'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Lambada'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'LaPaz'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Lemon and Lime'
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Hippeastrum hybrid
'Lima' |
In the warmer climes, they can be grown outdoors, esp. in
Florida and California. In other parts of the country, they should be grown
in
pots outdoors during the summer and brought indoors to spend the
winter
in a bright, sunny window sill.
Choose a bulb
that is large without blemishes.
These are usually available in late fall for planting in time for blooming
during the Christmas
season.
Plant the bulb in a good mix that you can
make yourself. A good mix
consist of 1:1:1 of sand, peat and leaf mold or
compost. Use a pot
with plenty of holes at the bottom, and is slightly
larger than the bulb
(it likes to be pot bound). Plant the bulb with 1/3 of
the bulb above
soil level. Then place the pot in a bright sunny window with
southern sun
exposure. Keep it moist and water once a week. It should bloom
for
you in 4-6 weeks after planting.
What should you do with the bulb after it has
done its thing during
Christmas? Remove the flowering stalk. Let it summer
outside. Keep
it watered, and fertilize with a slow release fertilizer to
promote bulb
growth. It requires warm temperatures of 70ºF - 75ºF for
optimum
growth and 9-10 months to promote vegetative growth and replenish
its energy.
By October, as the
temperature gets cooler, allow the leaves to yellow
and dry out. Withhold
watering and feeding now. Allow the plant to dry
out by turning the pot on
its side.
After 2-3 months of drying out in cool temperatures of around 60ºF, break dormancy
by watering and feeding
again. Flower buds should appear in a few weeks. The bulbs
require this
dry treatment and cool temperatures to get into the
dormant
or rest
period before it will make flowers again.
Daughter bulbs that appears beside the mother bulb can be divided and
planted separately, but
these are not going to be as showy as the large
parent bulb.
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