I bought an onion bulb and planted it, and the flower it produced was bigger than my fist, absolutely gorgeous.

Amaryllis is a bulbous flower, and the bulb you buy looks just like an onion. If you grow this bulb well, the flowers are large and brilliantly colored, incredibly beautiful.

How to plant amaryllis bulbs:

(1). Remove the rotted outer skin, which reduces the chance of root rot. Keep the healthy roots, and clean away the rotted and old roots as well.

(2). Soak the middle and lower part of the bulb in clean water for 1~2 hours. The water temperature should be slightly higher than room temperature; replenishing water in time can promote sprouting.

(3). Soak the bulb in a carbendazim solution diluted 1000 times to disinfect it, soak for 10~15 min, then take the bulb out.

(4). Choose a sandy, acidic loam rich in organic matter with good drainage. You can mix 2 parts peat, 1 part perlite and 1 part vermiculite evenly, then add an appropriate amount of superphosphate as a base fertilizer.

(5). Plant the bulb, setting it into the soil at a depth of half the bulb, and water thoroughly immediately after planting.

(6). Once the bulb grows new leaves, gradually add more soil. Keep it in a well-ventilated, cool, shady place for care.

How to cultivate amaryllis:

(1). Watering: Amaryllis has a high demand for water, so water thoroughly each time.

(2). Fertilizing: After the bulb is planted, wait until the leaves grow to 5~6 cm long, then start topdressing. Apply decomposed cake fertilizer water once every 15 days. After flowering, apply fertilizer once every 20 days, which encourages new bulbs to form.

(3). Temperature: The suitable growing temperature for amaryllis is 18~25°C. It is not cold-tolerant, so in winter keep the temperature at 5°C~10°C.

(4). Light: Place amaryllis in an environment with plenty of light and good ventilation. In summer, the sunlight should not be too intense, so take shade measures to avoid scorching the leaves.