How do you plant potted amaryllis, and can it bloom in winter?
Amaryllis is fairly easy to grow; in most cases you can just bury it in soil and it will thrive, and even a bare bulb forgotten in a corner can stubbornly bloom. So how do you plant potted amaryllis? Can it bloom in winter?
I. How do you plant potted amaryllis?
1. Clean the bulb
Cut off the roots that have already rotted or dried out, and keep the remaining healthy roots. If the outside of the bulb has multiple layers of brown, dried skin, you can peel off some of it to minimize the risk of rot.
2. Rehydrate the bulb
If the bulb has lost a lot of water due to long storage, it is best to rehydrate it, that is, soak the middle and lower part of the bulb in clean water slightly warmer than the ambient temperature for 1 or 2 hours. If you have experience, you can add some plant hormones such as gibberellin to the water, which helps rooting and later bulb swelling, but pay attention to the concentration and soaking time, otherwise you may outsmart yourself.
3. Choosing the medium
In a limited growing space, the choice of medium is very important. Amaryllis is best grown in a loose, well-drained, slightly acidic medium. The recommended medium is peat : vermiculite : perlite = 2:1:1 or peat : perlite = 1:1.
4. Planting
When the bulb is first planted, leave at least more than half of the bulb exposed, and check the bulb's condition often.
This is because during this period the bulb is very prone to rot. After getting through this period, once the bulb's roots and leaves have grown out, cover it with soil up to 1/2 or 2/3 of the bulb.
5. Daily care
(1) Watering
After planting amaryllis, water thoroughly once, then wait until the potting soil is basically dry before watering again. Before the bulb produces leaves, besides the base fertilizer, do not apply any additional fertilizer.
(2) Placement environment
After planting, first place it in a cool spot at 10-15°C to encourage rooting, then after two weeks move it to a warmer spot at 20-25°C so the flower stalk can emerge. In short, what is done at this stage is mainly for two purposes: preventing rot and rooting smoothly. If everything is normal, you move on to the next step.
II. Can amaryllis bloom in winter?
Amaryllis generally blooms once a year, in summer, and the flowering period is fairly short, usually around 10 days. However, if growers care for it properly, amaryllis can also bloom 2-3 times a year.
Under normal circumstances, amaryllis will not bloom in winter. In November, amaryllis enters dormancy, during which watering is strictly forbidden. Care should begin at the earliest in December; if you want the flower to overwinter, you can begin care in March of the following year. Amaryllis dormancy lasts as long as 2 months, so if you want it to bloom in winter, you need to let amaryllis enter dormancy ahead of time.