Bursting With Color Plant Amaryllis Bulbs Early And You Can Enjoy The Bright Blossoms For Christmas

Poinsettias may be the classic Christmastime blooms, but with a little advance planning you can celebrate with the amaryllis, which put on a much more exciting show for the holiday season. Plant these bulbs soon, and you’ll be rewarded with a burst of color and life indoors, not just this season, but for several winters to come.

Amaryllis is easy to grow, but as with any plant, the more knowledgeable the gardener, the better the results. Here are some tips:

Buying

There is a wide choice of colors and sizes, and breeders are producing bulbs that flower faster and produce more blooms. Whether you want a miniature or full-size plant, in pure red, white edged in red, or bold stripes, look for the largest bulb of that variety. It is more likely to give you multiple blooms.

For holiday blooms, look for the African strains of amaryllis, which are also called Christmas-flowering amaryllis. They bloom about six weeks after being planted and have stiff stems, so they don’t require staking. They reach 12 to 18 inches.

The African strains are not quite as graceful as the more common Dutch bulbs, which take up to 12 weeks to bloom and grow as tall as 24 inches. They may not flower in time for Christmas, but who wouldn’t welcome them in January or February, when it’s dark and dreary outside?

A wide variety of amaryllis bulbs can be mail-ordered from Van Engelen Bulbs (23 Tulip Drive, Bantam, CN 06750; (860) 567-8734) and Daffodil Mart (85 Broad Street, Torrington, CN 06790; (800) 255-2852).

Planting

Choose a container about 2 inches wider than the bulb, so when planted, there will be an inch of soil all the way around it. The pot should be deep enough to hold two-thirds of the bulb and leave room for root growth. You can also plant several bulbs in one larger container for a truly impressive show.

Place a stone or a shard of terra-cotta over the drainage hole, but don’t block it completely. The goal is to slow drainage, not stop it. Add potting medium to the container so that two-thirds of the bulb will be below the rim.

Add the bulb, and add more potting mix around it. Firm it with your fingers. Water thoroughly. Place the potted bulb in a warm spot (65 degrees to 70 degrees is ideal). It doesn’t need sunlight until growth appears, though you can certainly give it sun right away.

Don’t water the plant again for two weeks, or until it sprouts, whichever comes first. Once the flower stem just shows, move it into a sunny place and water regularly, whenever the soil is dry to the touch. Add a stake to tie the stalk if you have planted a tall variety.

When the bulb blooms, move it once again, this time to a cooler spot out of direct sun, which will help the flowers last longer. Most top-size amaryllis have two stems, each of which can produce up to four flowers; the two stems often bloom several weeks apart, giving you flowers to enjoy not once, but twice, from each bulb.

Caring

After this winter, don’t discard the bulb. With proper care, the bulb can flower again next year and the year after.

As the blossoms wither, cut down each flower stem to the base, but don’t cut the leaves. When it’s finished flowering, give it light, water and fertilizer, as you would other houseplants.

Move it outdoors for the summer, starting it in semishade, then moving it into full sun. Keep watering, and feed it once a week with an all-purpose fertilizer.

If you don’t have a spot outdoors, just give it as much sun as possible indoors. The plant probably won’t need to be repotted for three or four years.

Sometime between the end of July and the beginning of September, the amaryllis needs to be deprived of light and water in order to bloom again. The earlier you start the process, the earlier the plant will bloom.

Bring the pot inside, and place it on its side in a dark place, such as a closet or the basement. Leave it for about two months, until mid-September to early November. Then remove the old foliage and add an inch or two of fresh potting mix. Water the plant, and begin the growing process again.

MEMO: Questions should be addressed to Martha Stewart, care of The New York Times Syndication Sales Corp., 122 E. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10168. Questions may also be sent to Stewart by electronic mail. Her address is: mstewart@marthastewart.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Martha Stewart New York Times Syndicate