190 
The Garden Magazine, May, 1923 
AMARYLLIS IN U. S. 
DEPT. OF AGRICUL¬ 
TURE GREENHOUSES 
AT WASHINGTON, 
, D.C. 
Easily raised 
from seed sown 
in May. Flowers 
range from deep red 
to white in a great 
variety of markings and 
often measure a foot across. 
Bulbs may be kept growing con¬ 
tinuously or dried off and replanted 
each spring. Grown outdoors the year 
round in Florida 
water. The flower stalk grows rapidly, and in some specimens 
to a height of three feet, and produces from three to five flowers 
before the leaves appear. After the flowers fade, the stalk is 
cut off within a few inches of the bulb and the plant is kept 
growing during the spring and summer. If the bulb is to be 
repotted, or the offsets taken off, it should be done at this time. 
Offsets or small bulbs which form around the base of the parent 
plant should be removed every two or three years. This is the 
only means of securing an increase of individual plants true to 
name. 
Much care must be used in repotting, for a very little dis¬ 
turbance of the roots results in a failure of flowers for sometime 
to come. If the plant is well fed with liquid manure, frequent 
repotting may be avoided. In removing offsets, take them 
with as many roots as possible and pot off into three- or four- 
inch pots. The bulb should never be buried more than half its 
height; in fact most specimens grow two thirds or three fourths 
above the soil. The soil for Amaryllis should consist of a good 
friable loam, a little leaf mold, and not more than one fourth well 
rotted manure. After the plant has matured and ripened its 
leaves, gradually withhold water, and when quite faded dry 
off the bulbs for several months, not, however, carrying this so 
far as to cause the bulbs to shrivel or the roots to shrink up. 
Even a small collection that is handled the same as Dahlia 
bulbs by planting out in May and lifting in late September will 
give a rich reward for the trouble. Potted plants plunged in the 
border during the early summer, dried off in the autumn, and 
stored in a frost-proof cellar during early winter, may be brought 
out and flowered in April. This is a plan that has been followed 
by flower lovers for many years with satisfaction. 
Besides these methods which apply particularly to the 
northern tier of states, the Amaryllis may be grown the year 
around as an outdoor plant in Florida, southern Texas, and in 
southern California. By the three methods described, namely, 
growing in borders, in pots, or as an outdoor plant, it can be 
flowered throughout the entire extent of the country. The 
least satisfactory method is that of handling it in borders, but as 
a pot plant plunged in sand or cinders during the summer and 
dried off in the autumn it gives great satisfaction as a house or 
conservatory plant when brought into flower in April or early 
May. 
H YBRIDIZING or crossing is interesting and well worth 
while. Watch the flowers closely each day until some 
morning you will notice that the stigma has a glossy, sticky 
appearance. From another flower take a stamen full of the 
ripe pollen and rub it lightly over the stigma until it is well 
covered with the pollen. Mark this flower by tying a string 
loosely around the stem, and then as the flowers fade cut off the 
others, leaving this one to develop and ripen its seed. In a few 
weeks the seed-pod will reach maturity-—This may be easily 
determined by the deepening yellow color with which most 
plant growers are familiar. The seeds are a half-inch or so in 
diameter, as thin as paper and each pod contains dozens, 
possibly several hundred. They should be sown soon after 
they are gathered. After germination keep the seedlings 
growing continually until they come into flowers; after that 
they need a yearly period of rest, remembring that the Hippeas- 
trum is a deciduous bulb. With proper care bulbs will live and 
bloom for many years. 
