Starting Amaryllis from Seed

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on WHAV.

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on WHAV.

The flowers have faded and swollen pods have replaced the beautiful blooms on your amaryllis. If you are patient and like to experiment, you may want to let the pods mature, collect the seeds and start new plants.

Harvest the seeds when the seedpod turns yellow and starts to crack open. Plant them in clean containers filled with vermiculite or a sterile seed starting mix. Lay the seeds on their sides and cover lightly with the growing mix. Keep the soil warm about 70 to 75 degrees and moist. Seeds should sprout within 4 to 6 weeks. Move them to a sunny location or under artificial light as soon as any greenery appears. The seedlings will look like grass.

Continue to water and fertilize as needed and keep them growing year round. In about 4 to 5 years you will have mature plants ready to flower.

A bit more information: For quicker results start new plants from bulblets that form on the main bulb. Separate and plant each bulblet in a container slightly larger than this small bulb. In several years you will have a mature bulb ready to flower.

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