Growing Amaryllis Outdoors

15 years ago

Hi there,

I have been on GW but am new to your forum. I have been growing Amaryllis in pots for years. I put them outside in the Spring and into the garage in the Fall. Has anyone in zone 7a been able to grow them in the ground through Winter and have them return in the Spring? I have sandy soil so I don't think they would rot, but not sure they could take the cold. I would love to hear from you !

Thanks!

Joyce

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Comments (8)

Okiedawn OK Zone 7
15 years ago
Joyce,

I usually plant my Christmas amaryllis in the ground in highly enriched sandy soil on the western edge of my veggie garden after their bloom period has ended and they have had some rest. Sometimes they come back for several years, and sometimes only for a year or two. Eventually, they seem to die out although I don't know if it is a very cold and very wet winter that gets them or if it is the droughts we are prone to here. I lost 6 or 8 during the exceptional drought of 2005-2006 and only have a couple left in the ground. I don't yet know if the amaryllis survived the moderate drought conditions we have seen here in Love County since August 2007.

Dawn
Lisa_H OK
15 years ago
I grow them in the ground in OKC. I put them in a fairly well drained spot. They seem to mostly come back. I don't count on them, but I noticed today I've got one peaking above the ground that has been in there at least three years.

I also grow crinums. They are buried quite deep. They come back year after year.

Lisa
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Yes I agree the true A. belladonnas deeply resent being disturbed. I suspect they are also finicky about the way they are planted, maybe more so if potted. I would say to pot them with the neck showing, maybe even a bit of the top of the bulb too. I have to say that is a total guess, as I don't pot mine. I do know that planting with the neck/top of the bulb exposed does not bother them, where the climate suits them well. They do make an amazing amounts of roots.. which don't seem to go 'dormant' like on other bulbs.. they seem to stay fleshy all the time. I think part of the reason they seem to resent it is because they spend so much energy regrowing/repairing their roots? Anyways, another thing is they absolutely love heavy feedings. They will do great if not fed at all but.. if fed regularly they will respond in a big way. I used rakings from my peafowl pens, Miracle- Gro and the cheap fertilizer for roses that came in little pellets and just fed them every week. Not every clump flowered the following summer, but the next summer pretty much all of them flowered very heavily. They also recover and start blooming much sooner if fed well, sometime just after a year or two. I took some of mine to my father's house where they bloomed again after just two years.. however his soil is naturally extremely rich- high in silt & clay. Otherwise, under "normal" circumstances they can refuse to flower again for 5 years easily. Also I would suggest if they were already in a good size pot, leave them in even if they start dividing and really filling up the pot- just feed them very frequently and they should bloom. The large old clumps often are extremely crowded, to the point some bulbs actually are forced aboveground seem to flower the best. I have noticed bulbs that I moved in large clump sections recovered and flowered much better than bulbs that were separated and planted singly. With that, I would recommend to repot with the whole clump intact, with no separating or "loosening". Another possible reason some don't flower soon is because the bulbs they got/moved were young bulbs. It's normal for the young bulbs to need growing for several years before blooming for the first time.. the bulb size can be deceiving, the adult bulbs can get pretty large, softball size or larger, so a young bulb might seem "large". So if the bulb was golf ball size or a little larger, it is probably just too young. If I had to use a greenhouse, I would try to plant them directly in the ground if possible.. like on a raised sand bed. I have heard of Australian and British growing summer dormants in raised beds filled with sand or quick draining materials with either no or very simple overhead protection. I think the basic idea is to keep the bulb itself and the root base on the drier side while allowing the roots reach the richer and moister soil down below. I have no idea if that would work in your area.. I'm wondering if the pot was filled with well draining soil and then mostly or half way buried in the ground would work well? Summer heat does not bother them very much, summertime temps in my area tops 110-120F every summer.. with no watering at all and they love it. I would worry about un-buried potted ones getting too hot though? Even though they are very drought tolerant, they respond very well to frequent watering during their growing period, as long as the soil does not become soggy. I also heartily agree there is no chance of confusing between the various species once seen in person. And the scent is definitely worth it!
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It makes perfect sense... the roots require moisture often, but not constant moisture. Sort of like an epiphytic plant who's roots require misting often, but you wouldn't want to set it in water and leave it soaking! In any growing situation, proper watering is essential for growing healthy plants with healthy root systems! Poor watering technique is the number one cause of plant mortality! As long as the garden area has good soil that has been amended to help drainage, and you water when the soil becomes fairly dry, the plants should thrive! It's best to water at ground level, deeply, and early in the day... soaker hoses are great for this... watering late in the day or evening, and wetting the plants' crowns can lead to rot. It is best to water a garden thoroughly and less often than to water shallow and more often... you want the plants to grow roots that reach down into the soil for moisture, and to keep cool in the heat of summer. Watering shallow and only in small bits forces the roots closer to the soil surface, which leads to them becoming too hot in summer and not being able to support the plants and keep them upright. Overheated plants are stressed plants! To recap... watering is best early in the day, and it's best to water thoroughly and to water the soil, not the crown of the plants. Proper watering helps plants thrive!
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Red Lion is probably the most commonly seen red flowered amaryllis, but without a name, it is difficult to know what it is for sure. I put my amaryllis outside in the spring and then bring them back in during the fall. Unfortunately, since I live in a colder climate, I do not have any experience with growing them outdoors year-round. I do not know what the minimum temperature is that amaryllis can take. If your white amaryllis can survive outdoors year-round, my guess would be that the red one should be able to as well, although temperature tolerance probably varies by hybrid. Hopefully someone else with more experience growing amaryllis outdoors year-round may be able to give you some better advice than me about it. CF
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luvmy3afhounds
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Dawn & Lisa!
I had read some people plant theirs outside really deep and others say theirs are planted shallow. How deep do you plant yours? I usually keep my Amaryllis pots in the shade as the leaves wilt. Most folks say they grow theirs in full sun. Mine have just finished flowering in the garage. How well do the blooms hold up when they are grown outside? I always cut mine and make arrangements to give to friends. When do they bloom when grown in the ground?
I had to go look up crinums and I really like them!!! Thanks for telling me about them!
Thanks again for your info!
Joyce
Lisa_H OK
15 years ago
I don't think mine is terribly deep, but I honestly don't remember. I know I planted the crinums so deeply because I've tried to dig one up to share and I couldn't even get to them without digging a crater. I got them as division from a friend of mine in Louisiana.

My amaryllis bloomed around the end of May last year according to this photograph:

It looks to me like it was fairly stunted for some reason. I'll have to watch it this year and see what it does.

I can't say I think amaryllis is particularly happy growing in my bed. It grows, but it's not increasing by any means. I have seeds, but I've not tried to grow them.

The crinums are quite happy though.

Lisa
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
15 years ago
I planted mine deep enough that there's about 3" of soil above the top of the bulb. Here in southern OK, I was more concerned about soil drainage and rotting than about cold-hardiness since we seldom get very cold here.

If you are planting yours in a raised bed, I'd plant deep to protect them from very cold weather. If you are planting at grade level, I'd plant a little more shallowly unless the soil is very, very well-draining.

The varieties of amaryllis they sell as "Garden Amaryllis" for outdoor planting are often the same ones they sell for forcing for the Christmas holidays--although the ones at Christmas tends to be mostly red, white or pink.

When grown outdoors, the blooms hold up fairly well although they tend not to look as good as they look when grown indoors. I plant mine where they get morning sun and afternoon shade and are somewhat sheltered from wind.

Mine usually bloom in May but they don't all bloom at the same time. Sometimes, if Spring has been very warm, they try to bloom the minute they pop up out of the ground before they have attained much height at all.

If you are so far north in zone 7a that you are almost in zone 6b, then I'd be careful about planting them in the ground. Some people in colder zones plant them in the ground in the spring and then lift the bulbs and overwinter them in a shelterd location like a basement or garage.
luvmy3afhounds
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the info! I decided to take the plunge and plant them outdoors. I have so many different reds that I will put in the ground and keep the pink and whites in the pots.
Lisa your pictures are just stunning! Love looking at them!
The picture below is a bouquet I made for a friend using Amaryllis, Iris and Lilac.
Lisa_H OK
15 years ago
oh, what a pretty bouquet!! I really need to try to grow all the seeds I have. Some are seeds I harvested and some other people sent me. I've just been too chicken to try them :) But it would be fun to see what might come up.

Lisa
Lisa_H OK
15 years ago
p.s. Thank you! :)

Growing Amaryllis Outdoors

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Growing Amaryllis Outdoors

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Okiedawn OK Zone 7

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