How to care for Amaryllis? Master these key points

There are many varieties of amaryllis (Hippeastrum). The most common ones in everyday life are the red-flowered varieties, followed by pink. Their blooms are not much inferior to tulips, though amaryllis is more often grown as a houseplant. Today let's take a look at how this amaryllis that is not fussy about location should be cared for, and what points growers need to pay attention to.

I. Growing habits

The living environment amaryllis likes must meet the following conditions: a warm climate, moist soil, a spot without strong light, and a soil water level that is not easily too high. As long as these conditions can all be met at the same time, year-round green leaves and blooming red flowers are guaranteed. In summer, avoid strong light as much as possible and do a good job of shading. Loosen the soil often to keep it loose and increase its drainage.

II. Care methods

1. Pruning. Amaryllis grows fairly quickly, and its branches and leaves grow very densely. Repotting should not be done too often, but to keep good airflow between the branches and leaves, pruning can be used to cut away some of the weaker branches and leaves, which also reduces the diversion of nutrients.

2. Pests. If you want amaryllis to grow more vigorously and its flowers to open earlier, you can start with pest prevention. A foliar insecticide can be sprayed once a month. Do not choose a rainy day for spraying, since the rain will wash the pesticide away and it will just be wasted effort; midday is also not a good time to spray, as the potency will harm the plant.

3. Sunlight. Although amaryllis likes light, it cannot be exposed to strong sunlight, so if it is kept outdoors in summer, try to avoid the strong midday light and just move it to a bright window outdoors; winter light is weaker, so keeping it outdoors is no problem at all.

III. Points to note

1. Some bone can be added to the growing medium for planting amaryllis, which can increase the soil's ability to hold fertilizer.

2. When amaryllis reaches its vigorous growth period, fertilizer can be applied once a week. The fertilizer for topdressing is best mainly water-soluble fertilizer, and the amount added should not be too much, to avoid harming the plant's roots. Once the flowering period arrives, fertilizer application can be paused.

3. Amaryllis that has been grown for more than three years must be repotted, and the bulbs can also be divided into parts and propagated separately, so that you end up with more pots of amaryllis.

4. When the amaryllis flowers fade, promptly prune off the flower stalks and do not let them set seed, so that the amaryllis's second bloom will not be affected.

I hope the amaryllis care points summarized above can help everyone better understand how amaryllis grows and grow even more beautiful amaryllis.