I love Amaryllis and love to give Amaryllis bulbs as gifts. Last year Mr. G and I gave away 30 or so. Many of the recipients had never grown an Amaryllis or even knew what one was! It was a lot of fun hearing their stories. Even those with brown thumbs had success! If you’ve never grown an Amaryllis, it really is very easy and very rewarding! I had one Smith & Hawkins bulb that produced 8 big, beautiful blooms AT ONE TIME. (See picture below.)

GETTING STARTED
You will need: Healthy Bulb (It has been my experience that bigger is better.), Light Potting Soil, Pot 2 – 4″ inches wider than bulb. Or, buy a “kit” that comes with everything you need, making it super easy to get started! For an excellent “how to” video from Bulb.com … click here.

NOTES:

• The top of the bulb should show (about a third of it’s height).
• Soil line should be 1” below rim of the pot to make watering easier.
• Place in sunny, warm room (65 – 75 degrees)
• When new growth shows, begin watering whenever the soil is dry.
  • When you water, be careful not to get the part of the bulb that sticks above the soil wet.
• Turn the pot often toward light to promote balanced growth.
• When buds are about to open, move to a cooler, darker room to prolong the bloom time.
• Amaryllis take 6 – 8 weeks to bloom.
• Tall amaryllis may need staking; we use dowel rods for support.

REBLOOMING

You can keep your amaryllis indefinitely. Here is an article on the “rest and restoration” of your bulb.

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