Expert: Long Island Gardener - 2/14/2007

Question
My husband bought me a beautiful Amaryllis for Valentines Day. It still has 3 buds yet unopened, when will and how will I prepare it for blooming again?

Answer
How sweet he is!  These are gorgeous, aren't they?

Put your dazzling Valentines Amaryllis in the window, and turn it daily to keep the stem(s) straight.

When the last flower is spent - remember to remove them as soon as the bloom has finished peaking, to save energy that will be invested in next season's Bloom - keep the pot in the brightest light you have, and fertilize with any ordinary fertilizer.  You want this bulb to be happy, because it is making next season's bloom(s).  And since it does not take kindly to transplanting, you will use the same pot it is growing in now for the next 3 years.

When the pot dries out, water again.  Eventually the leaves will shrivel, brown up and disappear.  Time for storage.  This is the tricky part.

You see, if you store the potted bulb in a dark, totally dry area, it will look for all the world like a useless dead plant.  So if you are living with anyone - say, your husband - they may think they're doing you a favor by tossing this useless dead plant out that you forgot to water.  And it's gone before you know it.

But if you keep it safe from harm, you will eventually see signs of life again, the green tongue poking out of the top of the bulb, and it will be time again for more flowering.

Amaryllis is a spectacular bulb that needs only the smallest experience to understand it.  You can grow and bloom this gift for many Valentines Days to come.

Happy Valentines Day.