Growing Amaryllis Indoors
Amaryllis (hippeastrum species) brighten winter days with their spectacular 6 to 10 inch trumpet shaped flowers in shades of red, pink, salmon and white. Each stem will carry four to six flowers and a large bulb grows two to three stems, blooming for six to seven weeks. Amaryllis bulbs have lived 50 or more years with proper care. Purchase Amaryllis as a bare root bulb or already potted from local garden stores. |
Watch for red blotch, a fungus disease that can disfigure the bulbs and flowers. Treat with a systemic fungicide. Some superficial pink spots on the outer layers of the bulb are normal as long as the interior is white and unblemished. The narcissus bulb fly (merodon sp.) may attack a bulb outdoors in the summer. The larvae worm their way into the bulb and cause rotting, wilting and distorted leaves. Destroy any infected bulbs.
With proper care, you can enjoy your amaryllis bulb for many years. Getting enough sun is key to producing flowers the next year. Place it in your sunniest window right after blooming and in a location with six or more hours of sun in the summer. Happy growing! All content and pictures original works of kittycooks copyright 2011
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