Growing Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)

Steve and Val Bradley explain how to get the best out of these gorgeous houseplants

- Steve and Val Bradley

FOR many years we grew big ball-shaped Amaryllis bulbs as indoor plants, enjoying their huge blowsy blooms over Christmas or as a great way to brighten up the New Year. Now these same plants are called Hippeastrum and the name Amaryllis refers to the hardy outdoor varieties.

Longer lifespan

Although Hippeastrum is a flower closely associated with Christmas because it makes an excellent gift, the bulbs can be potted from October until the end of April. This means that depending on planting time, you can get flowers from late December until the end of June. If you buy several bulbs at the same time when the shops have a good range of colours, you can pot them in stages to get a succession of flowers and the others can be stored in a cool dry place at 5-10°C until they are needed.

Buying a kit

Perhaps the best thing about these bulbs, apart from the stunning display of large trumpet-shaped flowers, is that they are often sold as a complete kit so you get the bulb, a container and the compost all in a box about 6in (15cm) square. The rest is up to you, but there are a few tips to help you have a good display, not just this year but for many years to come.

Start off cool

After potting the bulb, start growing it in a cool room at about 18°C until the flower stem appears. Then move it to a warmer spot to speed up growth and flower development. If the plants are started in a warm temperature, the flower stem tends to be weaker and starts to droop as the flowers open. When the flower buds start to show colour, begin feeding each week with a weak solution of tomato fertiliser and continue as the flower opens.

Aftercare