How do I plant and water amaryllis bulbs?

Begin the planting process 6-8 weeks before you want your flowers to bloom. When planting an amaryllis bulb, keep in mind that they are tropical plants and should be potted indoors. You’ll need the bulb, soil and a pot that has a drainage hole and allows roughly two inches between the bulb and the sides of the pot. Fill half of the pot with soil, place the bulb in the center and continue to add soil until two thirds of the bulb is covered. It’s important to leave a third of the bulb above soil, including the neck, so that the stem and leaves can grow.

How much you water an amaryllis is very important, because overwatering can cause the amaryllis bulb to rot. Once you have potted your bulb, water the soil thoroughly. You will only need to do this once. Not until green growth appears will you begin to water regularly. If your soil dries out before that happens, you can water again, but DO NOT water more than once a week until you see green growth. Once that happens, water only when the top inch of soil is dry, keeping the soil moist, but not soggy. At this stage, you should not water any more than once every three days. NOTE: Avoid getting the portion of the bulb above the soil wet.

Click here to find out how to tend to your amaryllis after the blooming season, so you can enjoy it again the following year.

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