Red Amaryllis Bulb

Planting your Amaryllis:

• A tender bulb, Amaryllis need to be planted and grown indoors. Just plant the bulb in good compost (our premium professional compost is ideal), water regularly and place somewhere warm and sunny, out of direct light.
• Plant each amaryllis bulb, pointed end up, in an 8in clay pot. (plastic pots can tip over as the blooms get heavier). Pack the compost gently around the bulb leaving around one-third of the top of the bulb exposed.
• Use a support stake if the blooms look top heavy.
• Feed every 10-14 days with a standard tomato fertiliser and rotate the pot a quarter turn every day to encourage the stem to grow straight.
• Most varieties will begin blooming six to eight weeks after planting although some can take as long as ten weeks.
• To get the blooms to last longer, move the plant to a cool room once the buds open.
• Remove the flower stalk once blooming has finished and place your amaryllis outside to make the most of the summer sun. The leaves will start to die back in autumn, and you can allow the bulb to dry slightly before bringing it back indoors in October to rest for a few weeks before starting the cycle again.

Aftercare Advice for Amaryllis:

• Place the pot in a bright position, out of direct sunlight. Water sparingly until you see about 5cm (2in) of new growth, then water regularly.
• As your amaryllis grows, turn the pot a quarter turn each day to encourage the flower stalks to grow straight.
• Flower buds will appear at the top of the stalk, followed by the huge blooms.
• Flowers can be cut for the vase and will last up to 2 weeks.

Pruning Advice for Amaryllis:

• As individual flowers start to fade, carefully snip them off. Once all flowers on a flower stalk has faded, cut the stem back to within a few inches of the bulb and move the plant outside once all risk of frost has passed.