Don’t forget the clocks changed last night.
I apologise for mentioning Christmas so early in the season but the shops have their decorations out, people have started to buy tins of biscuits and tubs of chocolates and it is only a month till ‘stir-it-up Sunday’ (November 23). The reason for mentioning Christmas is that potted hippeastrum (often called amaryllis) make a great Christmas gift and they are also a wonderful way to brighten the home over the festive season.
Knights have had bulbs for sale for several weeks and now is the perfect time to plant them, either for yourself or to give as gifts. Warmth stimulates flowering so if you buy a bulb in a box it should be planted now or keep it somewhere cool if you intend to give it as a gift in the box at Christmas (I would not really recommend it). Remember that bulbs are alive and it is unlikely that a healthy bulb will remain dormant in the box until December. In fact, you should really unpack it immediately because the bulbs frequently start to grow (produce a flower stem) in the box. And if the bulb is not upright the flower stem can grow at an odd angle – difficult to remedy later.
If you buy a bulb now it will already contain one or more flower stems, ready to grow. Bigger bulbs produce more stems. The average will produce one or two stems but the largest can produce three or four, often in a sequence, one after the other.
Pot the bulb in a pot that is slightly larger than the bulb. If you buy one in a box it will probably come with a pot and some compost though you often seen to add more compost. Place the bulb so the upper half to third is above the compost, simply so there is enough compost under the bulb for the roots to grow. Then water and place the pot in a warm place in good light. Avoid overwatering the compost. The bulb will not need a lot of water at first and it is warmth that will stimulate growth. Good light is important because the flower stems will become tall in poor light and because the roots will not have made much growth the plants can topple in the pot as the large, heavy flowers open.
The flowers will last about 10 days, according to the temperature in the room, and as they fade they should be pinched off. Although the leaves often start to sprout while the flowers emerge it is more typical for the leaves to grow after flowering. Then you have a decision to make. Most people just discard the bulbs (which seems a shame) but if you keep the bulbs watered and allow the leaves to grow they will become large, leafy plants and will flower again next year. But you will not get more flowers if you just dry off the bulb after it has bloomed – you must let the foliage develop and feed the bulbs.
Hippeastrum make a thoughtful gift and the huge, brightly coloured flowers are always admired. Knights will have some plants in growth nearer the festive season, already potted and ready to bloom but they are rarely as varied as the range of bulbs available now.
Weekly jobs
Make a last cut of the lawn if the weather allows. Rake up or sweep up fallen leaves on the lawn.
Continue to plant spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and hyacinths
Plant patio pots with pansies, violas and evergreen foliage for winter colour
Pull up old and fading bedding plants in the garden and tidy borders