hippeastrum

hippeastrum reticulatum

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) should be cosseted after flower in order to build the bulb up for the next display. They need good, bright light at all times, should be watered whenever slightly dry and fed every 10-14 days with a general purpose liquid fertiliser for most of the summer. By August, you should change the feed to a high potash type, such as a tomato fertiliser and expose the plant to full sun. In early autumn, reduce the watering so that eventually, the compost is dry and the leaves have withered away. Store dry and cool for the winter.

When new grow recommences, carefully remove the top 2’’ of old compost and replace with fresh. Resume watering, giving a good long soak at first and allowing the compost to nearly dry out before applying more water. Gradually increase the frequency of watering as growth speeds up. Flowering can occur either before or with the appearance of new leaves.

Hippeastrums prefer a good quality compost and the soil-less rubbish often supplied with packed bulbs is not very suitable. Ideally you should use a soil based compost such as JI No2 to which approximately 10% by volume, sharp sand or horticultural grit has been added