🥀 Amaryllis

 Dec. 6th

I did my research, looking for ideas. There are lots from which to choose. Plus styling ideas. I like the second one, below. The roots are dangling in the bowl and the bulb need not be sitting in water to rot. It's only $250 from Wayfair! I think not.

I've had several over the years. I remembered that they do get top heavy, and this one had to be tied to the leg of the chair.

Brecks has a couple of cool ideas. One is a stand that holds them upright. Also, a little ladder with a Holiday figure to support it. About $25, for only the stake. 

This is the amaryllis that arrived first. You can see it is ready to go. I filled a punch bowl with rocks, and then some marble eggs. You are supposed to keep it in the dark until the roots are strong enough. We shall see. In the meantime, I'm growing a liquor bottle!

I had choices for the paperwhites. I went with a vase. 

This is amaryllis #2. Don't ask what colours they are. I forget. Either way they will be a bright spot of colour in the cold, dark days. 

Dec. 9th

They've been sitting in the water for three days, and the one is looking a bit strange. They don't like their roots in water, so Plan B. Having found some potting soil, I began again.

Dec. 14th – I measured the taller plant. It was 28 cm/ 11".

Dec. 16th – it was up to 30 cm/ 12".

I wiggled them in the pot, and found that all the roots have rotted on the taller one. I pulled them off, and set it back down in the soil. Pulling off the LCBO bags, I set them in the window, hoping for the best. 

Dec. 19th – I set it on a pad of vermiculite to help dry out the roots. It's 32 cm (12.5").

Dec. 28th – the tall one is about to bloom, but still has no roots! 13"

Dec. 30th – Blooms! No roots. 13.5".

 The amaryllis is doing well, still no roots on the one bulb. I am watching and waiting. 

Jan. 8th – Trimmed up

My plants are doing well indoors, although I think the amaryllis flowers are fading. There are two more stems in the one blooming, and the other bulb is growing, with roots, properly! I have hopes. 

I stripped off the dead blossoms, scraped off the bottom of the bulb, and still no roots. There are more blooms, but the bulb looks pretty drained. The other one is now taller and getting ready to bloom.

 

Jan. 20th – both are blooming. 

Jan. 22nd – I trimmed the candy striped amaryllis, removing dead blossoms 5cm above the bulb. Still no roots. They are supposed to go into dormancy for 8 - 12 weeks, Candy was placed in a paper bag. Supposedly between 7 - 10 C. (45 to 55) F. The cold storage might do it. 

Thinking it over, I realized the cold storage gets pretty cold in winter. I popped it into the fridge. We shall see. 

They sat out on the back deck all summer, indoors in Oct., no buds yet.