I have been wanting an amaryllis for several years but I always held back because they were very expensive. I always see them sold before Christmas and they don’t seem to be an affordable option for an indoor plant. This year, I decided to do a little more research and found out you can grow these outdoors and they do bloom for longer periods of time than most flowers, that justifies the high price for me.
I bought several amaryllis on sale recently but so far one has bloomed quicker than the rest. So the following pictures show the progression of my amaryllis’ blooming cycle. It is so worth the wait and the price.
I purchased this Pink Surprise amaryllis in the pot and it came with just the bulb planted slightly above soil like this. This pot does not have drainage holes and I was instructed to keep it moist but not soggy. Every few days I would water when I see the top is dry. After about 2 weeks it started to have that protrusion you see in the picture above.
After another couple of weeks or so it started to have the stem and the flower buds started to open.
Once the petals appear in the bud, it is just a matter of days before they all open up like the remaining pictures. This one bulb produced eight flowers that were about 5-6 inches in diameter. It is so lovely! It’s really one of my top favorites.
Verdant Garden 
I’m starting a new bulb every two weeks, so I’ve had amaryllis in bloom steadily, one bulb at a time. Most of these are bulbs I’ve had for years and just use again and again. After they bloom, the bloom stalk is cut off, and they are put in a sunny window to grow leaves. I fertilize lightly beginning in mid-Feb. and move them into a semi-shaded area once is it above 50 degrees consistently outdoors. They grow all summer, and get light fertilizer once a month. When it’s time for a frost, they go to the basement in a dark area, and get NO more water. The leaves dry up totally and are then pulled off. The bulb rests until I’m ready to start them again, but they need at least 6-8 weeks rest. I separate any new babies and don’t pot those until the plants go outdoors, just because of space issues. I started with one bulb years ago and now have 8 of those. I purchased another one a few years ago and have 6 of those now. And this year I splurged and bought 6 more on sale, but have given some of those as gifts. If you live where it doesn’t freeze, they can stay outdoors in the ground or in pots.
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Thank you for those tips! You confirmed what I’ve only read online. It’s great to know that it can last longer than 2 yrs which is what I’ve heard. I appreciate that.
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That’s such a loud and lovely flower! How long is it supposed to bloom for?
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I heard that it should bloom for at least 5-7 days. I have had these blooms for 7 days already and it is still going strong. Thanks for stopping by!
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