Amaryllis
are good
winter

AMARYLLIS FLOWERS are
showing up more often as cut
flowers in Canada.

However, it is still as a potted
bulb in the home that these huge
exotic flowers are best known. In
fact, many people buy a number of
them and plant them at two-week
intervals, to ensure a continuous
bloom of Amaryllis throughout the
winter. _

To choose a healthy bulb, make
sure the roots are not dried out.
Remember that the larger the bulb
— and they sometimes reach 40 cm
in circumference — the more
flowers per stem and the more
stems per bulb. Of course, giant
bulbs are more costly than smaller
ones,

The potting formula is simple.
Just take an Amaryllis bulb with a
circumference of at least 24 to 25
cm (about 10 inches), 2 pot some-
what larger than the bulb and
some ordinary potting soil. When
planting, make. sure the roots do
not get balled up. They should be
spread out in the pot as evenly as
possible.

Add potting mix, leaving the top
third of the bulb above the soil
surface, This makes watering
- easier.

After potting, water sparingly.
As the leaves and flower stalks
develop, increase the amount. By
that time, the plant will be able to
evaporate the moisture. Amaryllis
are fond of warmth, which is not a
surprise for a plant native to South
America.

For that reason this potted bulb
does not need a cold period; it can
move directly into a normally
heated room. Blooms should
develop in about six weeks. If it is
a large bulb and many flowers
develop, it may be best to use a
stake to keep the stem upright.

After flowering, cut the flowers
from the stalk and continue water-
ing, adding some house plant food
every two weeks. In early June,
Amaryllis in most parts of the
country can be placed outdoors for
the summer.

Bring the plant in again in
September, reduce watering over
the course of a few weeks, ceasing
entirely to allow the foliage to die
down completely. Keep it at about
18°C without waier for about two
months, to allow the bulb to
replenish itself.

Then bring it back into the light

Winter's: Coming—Buy Now!

® Regency

te Cah arkatt

"North Shore

Regency Dealer ¥

oomers

and again water regularly to restart
the Amaryllis flower show through
the winter.

Dutch Amaryllis are available in
large-flowered cultivars, such as
the solid colored ‘Red Lion,’
‘Peach Blossom’ and ‘Orange
Sovereign,’ and two-tone
‘Cinderella’ and ‘Minerva.’ In ad-
dition, there is a lovely little ver-
sion, the small-flowering Amaryilis
(Hippeastrum gracilis) such as the
cultivars ‘Pamela’ (orange-red)
and ‘Scarlet Baby’ (bright red).

17 - Friday, December 16, 1988 - North Shore News

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