SAY ‘HAPPY HOLIDAYS’ WITH AMARYLLIS

Bulbs easy to force into spectacular, long-lasting blooms

The amaryllis bulb, plain and ordinary, is full of surprises that arrive just in time for the holidays. Amaryllis are easy to force into spectacular blooms for weeks of stress-free enjoyment. This time of year, you can pick up pre-potted kits or buy bare bulbs to force in soil or water

For a succession of the saucy flowers through the holidays, stagger pottings of shorter-stalked South African bulbs that bloom in three to five weeks and large Dutch hybrid amaryllis that need six to eight weeks to bloom.

With so many varieties available, you can choose the look that best suits your home. The 4to 8-inch flowers are available in rich red, soft pink or salmon, elegant white, pale yellow and bicolors. Blooms may be single or double. There are miniatures, too.

While tulips and hyacinths require weeks of refrigeration to bloom, there’s no need to prechill amaryllis. The bulbs are native to South America. Just select large, firm bulbs and store them in a cool place until you’re ready to pot.

If cool storage is a problem, you can refrigerate the bulbs; this

is also a way to delay quickflowering types. Remove dried roots (but leave the fleshy ones) and dust the bulb with baby powder to discourage fungal problems. Wrap the bulb in a paper towel, then two layers of newspaper. Secure with a rubber band or place in a paper bag and store upright in the refrigerator’s hydrator bin. Do not place fruit in the same bin; it will produce gases that will destroy the flower within the bulb.

Remove and store the bulb in a well-ventilated place two days before you’re ready to plant, so it can warm gradually.

To force in soil:

Soak the bulb bottom and roots in tepid water for at least four hours before potting.

Plant in a well-draining pot 2 inches larger in diameter than the bulb. A 6-inch pot is usually adequate for one bulb; a 12-inch container will hold three bulbs for a more dramatic show. A clay pot will better anchor the top-heavy plants.

Place a layer of sterile, soilless mix in the bottom of the pot.

Add 1 tablespoon (per 6-inch pot) of a time-release 14-14-14 fertilizer. Sprinkle in a small mound of mix, amended with 1 teaspoon of agricultural charcoal to keep it sweet.

Spread the roots on the mound. Add more mix around the bulb, but leave the upper shoulder and neck above the soil line.

Water well. Don’t water for 10-14 days; then keep the mix barely moist until green peaks through the bulb’s neck. Keep the soil moist as the flower stalk grows.

Keep the container in a warm spot in indirect light, and move it to a bright spot when bloom stalk is 2 to 3 inches tall. Rotate the pot so the stalk will grow straight. Stake taller types.

Once the buds begin to open, avoid direct sunlight to prolong bloom life.

To force amaryllis over water:

Select a nondraining container — an attractive bowl or forcing vase with a cinched neck that holds the bulb.

Add enough colorful glass or natural pebbles to hold the bulb upright if you’re using a bowl; or enough for a decorative touch if you’re using a forcing vase.

Add 1 teaspoon of agricultural charcoal to sweeten the water.

Add water so that it nearly reaches but does not touch the bottom of the bulb. The roots will “smell” the water and grow down.

Add or replace water as needed. When green growth begins, move the amaryllis to a bright spot.

After the holidays

Amaryllis can be enjoyed for years in containers or garden beds with little care: Remove spent flowers 2 inches above the

bulb neck. Bulbs forced in water should be planted in soil so they won’t rot or shrink.

To encourage good leaf growth, water and apply a houseplant fertilizer monthly.

Continue growing as a container plant outdoors or transplant the bulb in the garden in spring. Plant the bulb ( 1⁄ above

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soil line) in well-draining, organically enriched soil in a bed that receives morning sun or dappled sun and shade during summer afternoons.

Mulch. The bulb will acclimate and begin spring flowering cycles.

Amaryllis are heavy feeders. For optimum results, apply a 2-2-1 fertilizer in spring to encourage leaf growth, a 1-2-1 formula in summer to maintain foliage and root growth and a 1-2-2 in fall to boost roots.

Divide or transplant bareroot amaryllis every five or six years in April or October. Those with soil intact around the roots can be moved any time.

Johner Images / Getty Images . Amaryllis are available in rich red, soft pink or salmon, elegant white, pale yellow and bicolors.

Getty Images Amaryllis is a gift that keeps giving. It can be planted in the garden and enjoyed for years with little care.

Merethe Svarstad Eeg / Getty Images The flowers are elegant white, red, pink or pale yellow.