Amaryllis Bulbs Washington DC

Just when I was totally bored with the dank days of midwinter, my gardening buddy Yvonne showed up with an amaryllis bulb, our favorite anti-depressant of the season.

I’ve grown dozens of them, but this one is something else. The bulb is the size of a softball. It’s a hybrid, a double queen. And it’s a true Holland bulb, from Netherlands Bulb Co.

I gave it my usual TLC, planted to the neck in good, composted potting soil with perlite. That’s important to support the coming growth. I put it in our front window (southern exposure) on a wooden radiator cover and kept it damp but well-drained.

Six weeks later, bingo, two stalks appeared. We had buds a week after. I could not believe it -- eight of them.

The flowers have exploded, and we’ve never seen anything like this. Blooms in soft salmon and white colors are 6 inches across. The whole flower package is a mass almost 2 feet wide.

It’s amazing that a single bulb could release that much growing energy. The two stalks are 28 inches tall and rock solid.

Amaryllis once were rare and treasured like gold. Now they’re selling them all over, including online. Prices range from $3 for common ones to about $15 for the startling hybrids. You cannot get this kind of pleasure anyplace else.

Plant the bulb immediately in a 6- or 8-inch diameter pot with a drainage hole and saucer. The soil should be high quality, light and with composted materials. Thoroughly water the first time. Then allow it to dry out and water again.

When the bulb sprouts, the action will be quick. At blooming season, you’ll need to water almost daily.

Amaryllis like sunny locations. They cannot tolerate cold drafts.

Trim the stalks when the flowers are spent. By then, leaves will have started. These are critical as they reinvigorate the bulb for next year. Water sparingly.

In late spring, the bulb may be planted in a sunny spot in your garden or kept in the pot on the porch.

In autumn as the leaves die off, trim them and store the bulb in the pot in a cool, dry place. Do not water. The bulb needs to dry.

Keep track of the time. In six weeks, bring it out and water to restart the process. You may be able to time the blooming to the holidays. We’re talking six weeks of storage and six to 10 weeks between restarting and flowering.

I had an old amaryllis that bloomed for years and then stopped. I didn’t throw it away as it formed a second bulb. This year, both are blooming, nowhere near as large as the Queen but promising.

That’s the beauty of the amaryllis. Buy one, properly care for it and it will return pleasure for years.

Send gardening questions to jim.hillibish@cantonrep.com