Bloom Watch Continues
Day 2 of Amaryllis Bloom Watch.
We can now see there are going to be 4 flowers from this bulb.
Amaryllis are one of the easiest bulbs to force to bloom. If my memory is correct, I have always planted my bulbs in potting soil, but this year, my son gave me a kit with stones, where the bulb is placed on the stones in a clear vase, and the roots are visible below in the water. I think this version has been the easiest yet.
These bulbs couldn’t be easier to grow. All you have to do is place the bulb in the medium up to its neck, put it in a location that’s around 68-70 degrees F with direct light, and keep the water no higher than the base of the bulb.
Heat is necessary for the development of the stem, but be careful you don’t give too much heat. I put my bulb last year into a south facing window with very strong light, and couldn’t get it to flower at all. Research showed me it was just too much heat.
February 3, 2013 - 8:06 AM
This is my favorite time of year for amaryllis and yours is already beautiful. There’s something very heartening about watching growth day by day. Will you try to keep the plant going after it finishes blooming? We used to force paperwhites in water and I had one student whose family potted up his bulb and kept it going long enough for it to be blooming two years later.