Bare root Amaryllis bulbs should be planted quickly after receiving them.
Forced Amaryllis bulbs should be refrigerated until planting. (Temperatures higher than 54° F. will initiate sprouting.) Before planting soak the bottom of the Amaryllis bulb (basil plate) and its roots in water for two hours to get the Amaryllis bulb off to a faster start. After flowering, cut off the flower stalks and treat the Amaryllis as a green houseplant. Continue to water and fertilize regularly. Grow inside or move to a partly shaded area outside after danger of frost has passed.
( More videos on YouTube under Amaryllis Man)
Amaryllis bulbs will not survive freezing temperatures. If your Amaryllis are planted outside they must be mulched heavily (4 to 6 inches) in colder climates.
Houseplant Amaryllis bulbs should be potted in a manner that allows one third of the pointed top of the Amaryllis bulb to be exposed above the level of the soil. This is called the “shoulder†of the Amaryllis bulb.
A good soil mix for potted Amaryllis bulbs is two thirds topsoil mixed with one-third sand.
Locate the Amaryllis bulb so that the roots hang down into the pot, then tamp-in the soil medium firmly around the bulb. Do not leave air pockets around the roots. The nose of the bulb should be above the pot’s rim and the shoulder of the bulb just above the surface of the soil.
Water thoroughly after planting. Pots must have drainage holes. A second watering application should be spaced to about seven days. Then do not water excessively. Water only after the soil has dried out.
Fertilize your plant after it blooms with a well-balanced water-soluble fertilizer.
