Expert: Long Island Gardener - 10/7/2006

Question
My flowers made seeds. I would like to propagate them and see if I can grow bulbs from them. Any suggestions how to and how long before they make flowers.
              Thanks..........

Answer
Easier said than done, I'm afraid, Bob. But if you can cut it, you'll have some one of a kind hybrids that you can start naming after family members.  Don't forget me!

Most propagagating of Amaryllis is done by dividing the bulbs.  But you don't get new hybrids that way.

Make sure the seeds are fertilized by hand pollinating yourself when the Amaryllis is blooming.

As you probably know, seeds don't often yield offspring that look like the parent plants.  The seedpods appear quickly and take a month or longer to ripen.  

You can remove the seedpods when they have yellowed and are showing signs of opening.  Extract the seeds and leave them on a paper towel to dry several days, then plant in a semishady pot, with rich loam, and wait.

When you see that any of the seeds are germinating, increase the light exposure slowly until the plant(s) are growing in full sun.

Remember, Bob, these are persnickety plants.  And like many tropical flowers, germination is unpredictable, uneven and can take forever.  Me, I prefer to watch grass grow.