Potting Up Amaryllis Bulb

A new year brings new experiences and a new job opportunity for me. I've been so busy! So many changes going on has made me lag behind in blog posts. For that I apologize.

Here is my amaryllis bulb that I saved from last years post. Unfortunately, I grossly delayed in getting it potted up for it to flower during the Christmas season. However, the bulb is still viable and will demonstrate how to get it growing again.

It's best to select a pot that is only an inch or so wider in diameter than the bulb itself. You don't want the bulb to swim in a lot of growing compound.

This Amaryllis bulb has atrophied quite a bit due to my neglect. But it's still firm and has green colouration on the collar and bulb bulge.  Here I removed as much dry skin and dry roots as possible. Removing that prevents rot and it also allows more light to hit the bulb, helping to initiate growth again.

Add just a bit of potting soil at the base of the pot. Here I only added about an inch and a half worth. Tuck roots nicely underneath the bulb. Make sure the bulb stands tall in the pot, so that its collar and the top of the bulb remains exposed.

Add enough potting soil to reach the crest at the top of the bulb and tamp down.

Water enough to just dampen the soil at first. In a day or two, test the soil to see how dry/moist it is and water until just moist to the touch. You just want enough moisture, not too much watering at this stage.

Place in a sunny window and wait about a week before you start to see a leaf emerge. As it begins to grow and send out leaves, water more generously. Remove it from the decorative pot to see if it sits in water. If so, drain excess water so it won't rot out. Enjoy!

Here are other Heidihorticulture posts regarding the care of Amaryllis bulbs.

Frost Protection

Having a partially shaded garden has it's perks. Most of my perennials and bulbs are just peaking through, where in sunnier spots they have flushed tender growth from the last two weeks of warmth.

Lee Valley's Floating Covers

The weather forecast is calling for -3°C (26°F) this evening, which can certainly cause damage to your tender plants.  For perennials and low growing plants cover with old towels or bedsheets, weighed down on corners. You can buy frost protection fleece or cheese cloth material, but in a pinch what you have around the house will do. Just don't use fabric that is overly weighted, which can break, bend and damage stems.

Lee Valley's Ventilating Cloche

Lee Valley's Garden Cloches

I've also used in the past overturned plant pots, cloches, pop bottles (with bases cut off) which also work great.  In windier situations, place a large stone over such plastic covers, or heel in with some soil so that it remains stable.  With the darker pots, you must remove them in the sunlight the next day but with the clear plastics/glass, you can leave until fear of frost is gone. All plastic covers should have a venting hole so that it doesn't get too hot inside.

I've also used newspaper and garbage bags, but the items mentioned above were most effective.   Some folks may have budding and partially leaved Japanese Maples. These should be covered with sheets if possible.

Hopefully with these methods, frost damage can be avoided. Unfortunately for fruit trees, a large tarp or cloth needs to cover the entire tree if you want to protect the bloom. This is hard to do.  Many fruit groves use overhead sprinkling systems to run all night to make sure the cold air doesn't come in contact with the blossoms and leaves.  


So many things we can do to try and prevent these strange springs, but thankfully, plants will recover in time.