Evening star., 1942-09-12
Rest Amaryllis
If Its Foliage
Is Yellowed
Place in Dark Spot
And Do Not Water
Until January
Bv A Aqnes Trimble

Have you looked at your amarylis
plant recently? If so, perhaps you
noticed that its foliage is beginning
to turn yellow. If this is the case
all fertilizing should be discon-
tinued and watering gradually de-
creased until the soil dries out and
the leaves dry back
Do not disturb the bulb. just
place the container as it is on its
side in a dark, dry, cool corner of
the basement where the tempera-
ture will not be higher than 40 or
so degrees-no watering at all dur
ing this period. The amaryllis
should be left in the dormant state
until the last of January. When
it is ready to perk up and come out
of its secluded spot, it will put
forth a flower bud. This bud will
develop from the side of the bulb
and not from the center as one
would naturally expect.
When the bud is first noticed,
bring the plant out into the light
but not in the strong sunlight yet.
Place the container upright and
water thoroughly each day until
the soil has absorbed enough to
hold the moisture After this cut
down on the watering-only a little
each day. The temperature should
be higher now, too, about SIS to IS
degrees. When the bud, fully de-
veloped, has emerged from the
bulb, with a stem about 2 or 3
inches long, the plant is ready for
full sunlight. 1t needs fertilizing
now, too-a little every 10 days
until the bud begins to show its
coloring, then no more until flow
ering has finished and the withered
blossoms and stems are clipped off
After blossoming is over and the
stems have been cut off about two
inches above the bulb, fertilizing is
resumed and the plant is put in the
garden until September.
When repotting, which is needed
every three to five years, select g
container that is at least an inch
wider than the thickness of the
bulb-wash it thoroughly, use clear
drainage, and fill with soil consist
ing of three-fourths good friable
loam, one-fourth well-rotted ma
nure and little sharp sand. Sci
the bulb down so that at least two
thirds of it will be above the sur
face soil.
Amaryllis plants may be easily
grown from seed. First, fill shall
low tray with light soil consisting
of three parts friable loan, one
part leafmold and a little sand
thoroughly mixed and we'll screened
Plant the seeds / inch apart each
way, water thoroughly, and place
the tray where it will be in the
light and have temperature o.
from so to IS degrees. Now only
sufficient water should be given t
keep the soil moist-too much otter
causes fungus growth which de.
stroys the seed.
| When the seedlings have devel
oped two or three leaves, they ar
ready to be transplanted into in
dividual 3-inch pots filled with TIN
same kind of soil mixture as useS
in the tray. Reduce the tempera
ture now to about so degrees. A
the plants outgrow the 3-inch pots
shift to 5-inch pots, and then a
needed to or 8 inch ones, wher
they remain to bloom. With eacl
repotting, be sure to leave two
thirds of the bulblet above tn
soil-which is most important.
A good healthy amaryllis plan
will produce many stalks and eacl
stalk will have several lilylike bios
SONS measuring inches or NOR
across. This flower stays in bloom
a long time and one of its bes
traits is that all the blossoming /
not done at one time-one stalk i
usually filled with blooms, and a
they fade, another comes into full
blossom, and so on until all flower
ing has finished.