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| Amaryllis |
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 Amaryllis plants are among the most spectacular of all flowering bulbs you can grow. They are attractive, easy to grow, and can produce several stems of giant trumpet shaped flowers in one season! They are available in a wide variety of color including white, pink, salmon, red, and yellow-green! |
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What you will need:
- Amaryllis Bulb
- A pot slightly larger than the bulb (1/2-2” around the side of the bulb)
- Well-draining Potting Mix
- Bamboo Stalk
- Patience
Planting a new Amaryllis Bulb
- Choose bulb(s) that is plump and still has some roots at the base.
- Make sure the pot you choose is large enough for the bulb. Generally a 5-7” pot will work fine. The bulb needs to feel crowded to bloom.
- Partially fill the pot with potting mix and place the bulb so the top third of it will be exposed when you fill in potting soils around the sides of the pot.
- Place the bamboo stalk along side the bulb. The flowers can get top heavy and inserting the stake now will help you avoid damaging the bulb and roots later.
- Water well.
- Place the pot in bright, indirect light and keep the soil moist, but not wet.
- A thick flower stalk should shoot up within a few weeks. The flat leaves will follow as the flower stalk matures.
- Turn the pot every few days, so the flower stalk gets uniform exposure on all sides and grows straight.
- You can feed your Amaryllis with a half strength water soluble fertilizer every 2-3 weeks.
- When the flowers fade, cut the flower stak abck to just above the bulb. Keep watering the pant until it goes dormant in the fall. You can move or plant the Amaryllis outdoors for the summer, in partial shade.
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Forcing an Existing Amaryllis to Bloom for the Holidays
- To force bloom for the winter holidays, cut back the flower stalk after blooming stops, but allow the foliage to grow. You can place your plant outdoors for the summer, if you like, in a partial shade.
- Keep watered so the soil is moist, but not wet.
- Stop feeding in August.
- When it is time to bring plants indoors, in September or October, move your Amaryllis to a cool (55-60 degrees F), dry spot and stop watering it. The foliage will already be dying back. If you want your Amaryllis to bloom at a specific time, Thanksgiving or Christmas, count backwards about 10-12 weeks, to determine when to stop watering, and cross your fingers.
- The lack of foliage and water will induce the amaryllis to send out another flower stalk. Resume watering at this time and move the plant to a warm, sunny spot. Leaves will follow shortly and then blooms.
- When the flowers fade, start the process over.
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| Houseplants |
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| Improving Indoor Air Quality |
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House Plants do more than just brighten up a room with color and living energy. They make people feel calmer and more optimistic. Along with being pleasing to the eye, they bring real health benefits to your body. A study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) found that common house plants could improve air quality. In fact, they reported that houseplants were able to remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hours, improving indoor air quality with houseplants! Talk about interesting….
The study showed that common houseplants such as bamboo palms and spider plants not only make indoor spaces more attractive, they also help remove toxins from the air!
Look for:
- Bamboo Palm
- Chinese Evergreen
- English Ivy
- Ficus
- Gerbera Daisy
- Spider Plant
- Dracaena marginata
- Corn Plant
- Mothr in Law’s Tongue
- Peace Lily
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