There was no gathering during Christmastime, so my sister sent all of us amaryllis bulbs. Her idea: our first annual family amaryllis race from afar – something living to hold us together in spirit and keep us in contact with each other over the life span of our plants during a time when we’d normally all love to be together. (We are a matriarch and five siblings with families.)
Despite my 86-year-old mom’s pleas to visit her while she’s alive rather than come someday for her funeral, I stayed home for the holidays. I totally understood her feelings. She knows the virus can be deadly, but she didn’t want the final years of her exuberant life to fade quietly away in senior solitary confinement. But the last thing I wanted on my conscience was traveling to Texas and bringing COVID to her doorstep.
So off blasted the imaginary gunshot and a-planting in pots we went instead. If you’ve never had an amaryllis bulb, it’s the easiest thing to grow with the most stunning reward. The name comes from the Greek word amarysso, which means “to sparkle,” and boy, is it an eye-catcher. The bulb comes in a package with a pot and some peat. Put the three together, then add some water, and voila! The magic begins.
Well. If you live in Texas. Seeing as most days we don’t heat the house until the kids come home from school and we’re all together, our amaryllises – not amarylli, as I’d been wondering – chose instead to shelter in place. The soil grew a nice comfy mold blanket to keep warm, and nothing about the cold Northwest air in our kitchen beckoned the little lives down there to come out.
While the kids often noted seeing their breath in the house when they came home, my siblings’ texts showed photos of thick, lengthy stems shooting up to the sky in the balmy southern air. When theirs were a foot tall or higher, ours were just peeking out and shivering.
They stayed like that through Christmas. Through New Year’s.
Then suddenly, without the promise of heat in their future, they decided to go for it with abandon.
Today, they are blasting gargantuan trumpets of scarlet grandeur, heavier than their pots and propped up by the cold windows.
We’re several weeks behind. My siblings’ amaryllis blooms have long since expired. But everyone wins in an amaryllis race. Orcas Island just instills a little more patience in its people. Sound familiar?
Interestingly, I just read that amaryllises are perennials and will continue to bloom once a year. For decades. There’s a man who claims his bloomed for 75 years! Here’s how you coax these tropical natives of Africa to continue on in colder regions…
Getting Amaryllis Bulbs to Rebloom
Should I cut the leaves off my amaryllis?
If you want to save your amaryllis for reblooming, cut off the spent flower stalks but allow the leaves to continue growing all summer.
How do I get my amaryllis to bloom again?
Once the blooming is over, treat the plant as you would any tropical houseplant, watering as needed and fertilizing monthly.
Can I plant my amaryllis outdoors?
Once all danger of frost is past, you can move the pot outdoors. Amaryllis are tropical and can’t survive cold weather. You can even take it out of its pot and plant it in the garden – wherever it will get bright sun and you’ll be able to water and fertilize it. The healthier the leaves, the better able they’ll be to replenish the nutrients in the bulb – and the bigger the flowers next winter.
When should I put amaryllis in the dark?
In mid-August, begin withholding water and let the foliage die back naturally as the pot dries out completely. Then place the bulb in a cool, dark and dry place where it’s safe from insects and rodents.
How long does my amaryllis bulb need to be dormant?
At least eight weeks. Longer is fine.
When do I take my amaryllis out of storage so it will grow again?
Six to eight weeks before you want new blooms, repot the bulb in fresh potting soil and place it in bright, indirect light.
So next Christmas, whether we’re all vaccinated and gathering or not, consider having your own family amaryllis race. You’ll be hooked.
Reblooming instructions are from the Gardener’s Supply Company website
