April 9 – 22, 2018
Mount Washington — Some houseplants benefit from having a dual identity: life as an indoor potted plant in winter, then finding a summer home planted in the garden. Conversely, varieties that get their start and mature in the garden may be lifted from their beds, potted and brought indoors to grow, and perhaps flower and provide food for the table, during the frigid months of the year.
Rather than discarding amaryllis bulbs after their winter blooms fade, keep the plants growing and blooming from year to year by adopting the following routine:
Cut flower stalks above the bulb without harming the leaves. Place pots in a sunny window and add kelp and fish emulsion fertilizer to the water once a month. In late May or early June, well after the last frost, acclimate amaryllis to the outdoors for a few days in a shady, followed by a part-sun, location.
The pots may then be buried in the ground or the bulbs removed from their pots. Taking care not to injure the leaves, spread out the roots and bury the bulbs to their shoulders. Depending on rainfall and the fertility of ground, the plants may require water and fertilizer through July. I have a 10-feet-long, 2-feet-wide, mostly sunny border that accommodates half a dozen amaryllis spaced about 18 inches apart.
Before the killing frost, usually in late September, dig the replenished bulbs and induce dormancy by placing them in a dark, 50- to 55-degree location. When the leaves are brown and dry, trim them off and allow the bulbs to rest for 8 to 10 weeks. At White Flower Farm, plants are left out until light frost blackens the leaves, which are pruned off immediately and the bulbs stored for their dormant period. The cycle begins again, except that, instead of purchasing new bulbs, we retrieve our bigger stock from storage.
In spring, at the nursery, I often purchase rosemary, lemon grass, abutilon and geranium starts — among others — which, after growing in the garden for the season, I repot in bigger pots in fall and bring indoors. I have several old, large rosemary bushes and one 2 years old, all blooming and providing flavor for our food. The young rosemary will be planted in the garden again this spring. Also a culinary herb, last summer’s lemon grass will be divided into several starts that I’ll plant in late May. Veteran geraniums and abutilon bloom in a sunny window most of the winter; they, like the huge rosemaries, are too large to replant and so will move out to the doorstep where they will enjoy sun and rain and be admired by visitors, including curious hummingbirds attracted to their vibrant blossoms.
Resources
https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/how-to-grow-amaryllis-bulbs
https://www.longfield-gardens.com/article/All-About-Amaryllis
Opportunities to participate
April 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Turtle Tree cool season seedling & seed sale – http://turtletreeseed.org/ordering-information/
Turtle Tree composting workshop, 9 a.m. – noon, fee – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/turtle-tree-seed-composting-workshop-plus-seedling-seed-sale-tickets-44601920545
