Amaryllis in August?

Last week, my husband came in from the sideyard where I store my unused plant pots and asked, “Did you know your amaryllis is blooming?”  I responded, “What amaryllis?” 

Sure enough—I have a beautiful amaryllis blooming in August!  What a treat!

Each year I buy an amaryllis bulb for the holidays.  Even though I know that amaryllis bulbs can bloom again, my approach to post-bloom care is haphazard at best.  When the plant is done blooming, I put it outside and water it for a few weeks or months until it dies back completely.  Sometimes I don’t water it at all.  Either way, eventually I set the bulb aside and forget about it completely.  Occasionally, a bulb will bloom again in late fall or around the holidays.  But in August?!  Apparently I started the dormant period a bit early this year.  Anyway, it was a delightful surprise!  

If you are interested in the correct way to make an amaryllis bloom again (including deciding when you want the plant to bloom) you can find a fact sheet on the United States National Arboretum’s website at http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/AmaryllisBloom.html.

Now, I’m off to check on my other amaryllis bulbs!

The August Amaryllis. (photo by Erin Mahaney)

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