My potted amaryllis bulbs are blooming and it is a truly spectacular sight! Yes, it is true, I had expected the bulbs to bloom months ago indoors, but I'm not complaining, and had they bloomed when expected I may not have even been home to enjoy them.
Amaryllis are actually one of the easiest bulbs to force, and best of all, they do not loose their ability to bloom again once they have been forced, like many bulbs. And in fact, the longer one hangs on to the bulbs, the larger they get, producing even more flowers the following year.
After writing an article about amaryllis bulbs, which you should read here, I tried to force my bulbs in a pot with soil last year. The bulbs grew nice leaves, but did not produce any blooms, so I followed my own advice, and put them outdoors for the summer in a partly sunny spot. Around September I stopped watering the plant, in order to let it dry out, but a surprise rain and possibly some family members who didn't know that they shouldn't water the plant foiled my schedule. Which is quite likely why the bulbs ended up blooming when they very likely would have bloomed outdoors in the ground.
Not to worry, we are now going to enjoy the blooming plant for the next several weeks, after which I'll follow the cycle again, with great attention to the drying out period. Interestingly enough, of the four bulbs in the pot, three have flowered, one bulb with two stalks of flowers. The bulb that did not flower has divided and produced two babies, so if I remove the bulbs from the soil I can separate them. And once the new year arrives on the Jewish calender, I will certainly purchase some more amaryllis bulbs and try to have at least three or so pots that will bloom in succession, as the flowers bring so much joy!
