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When to Bloom
Amaryllis bloom from March to June, so you will want to plan for December to January.
Water well, keep the soil moist, and avoid wetting the tops of the bulbs
The top 2 inches of soil should be kept moist for proper growth. To maintain about 2 inches of moisture for healthy bulbs, the soil should be well-drained and moist, but not waterlogged.
Soil
Amaryllis require well-drained soil, although most gardens with poor soil can be adapted by adding aged or composted organic material before planting. A slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6 and 6.5 is preferred. Don’t worry, testing and adjusting your soil’s pH is easy.
Always use a good quality standard potting mix in pots and containers and water your amaryllis well when it blooms in the fall and leaves in the spring.
Fertilizer
In the fall, after flowering and before leaf growth, apply a controlled-release organic fertilizer specifically designed for flowering plants.
Learn How to Prune Amaryllis Easily
To preserve a supply of bulbs for next year’s blooms, cut off flower heads and flower stalks as soon as flowering has stopped.
Remove dead leaves in late spring.
Flower stems can be cut and used for indoor flower arrangements.
Pests and Diseases
Amaryllis is very resistant to pests; the large leaves are only occasionally damaged by snails and slugs. From fall to late spring, apply iron chelate snail pellets around the clumps.
In hot, humid conditions, leaf blight can affect amaryllis bulbs, causing leaf tips and reddish-brown spots that can spread further on the leaves. Remove affected leaves immediately and spray the plant with a copper-based fungicide to reduce the spread.
How to Propagate Amaryllis
Amaryllis can be harvested and divided after the leaves have completely dried in late spring or early summer. Replanting should then be done as soon as possible.
How to Rebloom Amaryllis Bulbs
The trick to reblooming amaryllis bulbs is to let them go dormant for ten to twelve weeks.
Like other bulbs that can be grown indoors, such as: B. Paperwhites, amaryllis bulbs need to “rest” before they can begin their blooming period.
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