Timing has never been my strong suit. So I didn't remember to buy my holiday amaryllis until three days after Christmas, and then only coincidentally. I bet it'll bloom by February! I bought it mostly as an experiment, because I want to find out whether those instructions for getting it to rebloom next season really work! Yep, I'm a bit of a rebel and a bit of a scientist.
I've heard lots of variations on how to keep an amaryllis alive, but here are some tips from the National Home Gardening Club:
- After the plant has bloomed, keep it in a bright spot indoors. (I would also cut back the flower stalk, but leave the leaves.)
- Water when the soil feels dry.
- After danger of frost has passed (let's call it Memorial Day), plant it outdoors in a partially shaded location.
- In fall, (let's call it Labor Day), pot up the plant and move it back indoors.
- Cut off the dead foliage and stop watering. (Many gardeners put it in a dark spot, such as a closet, so as not to look at a barren pot.)
- Check the pot occasionally. The plant will send up new growth around October. Once it does, resume watering and move it to a bright spot. The plant should bloom again.
Poinsettias Not Poisonous
In a previous entry, I also noted that poinsettias, contrary to popular belief, are not poisonous. I just found some more info at Fine Gardening, in an article by Michelle Gervais:
"Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous if ingested. Apparently, the rumor started due to a story about an army officer's child who ingested a leaf in 1919 and died soon after. Poinsettia producers have been fighting the myth ever since. Researchers at Ohio State University have done extensive tests with rats, with no adverse effects. The American Medical Association has also stated that poinsettias are not poisonous. Poinsettias are a part of the Euphorbia family, members of which exude a milky sap when broken open. While not poisonous if injested, the sight of the sap can be alarming, and probably contributes to the myth. In many species, this sap can cause mild skin rashes."