Amaryllis plants need bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light.. Southern exposure is best, eastern and western exposures are adequate, northern exposure requires additional artificial light.

Water sparingly until the stem starts to grow out of the bulb. As the stem, leaves, and buds develop gradually increase your water. Keeping the soil moist helps prolong the Amaryllis flowers.

Fertilize an Amaryllis plant monthly with a fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.   high in potassium and phosphorus and low in nitrogen (5-10-10) or (6-12-12). Always dilute the plant food to 1/2 the recommended strength.

An Amaryllis is a tropical plant and enjoys temperatures between 68°-70°. Once an Amaryllis plant blooms, move it to a cooler area (65°). This helps the flowers last longer.

Basic household humidity or even less keeps an Amaryllis plant healthy and free of diseases.

Plant Amaryllis bulbs any time from late fall to mid-spring using a good commercial potting soil. The bigger and fatter the Amaryllis bulbs, the larger the flowers will be. Be sure to soak the base and roots of Amaryllis bulbs in water for a few hours before planting them. It usually takes 7-10 weeks for the bulbs to bloom. It takes longer when bulbs are planted in the winter than when they are planted in the spring

thripThrip are tiny winged brown insects that feed on the surfaces of plant leaves, flowers, and buds. They leave silver spots around their feeding areas and dark dots of excrement. Thrip not only weaken plant growth and distort buds and flowers, they transmit viruses from plant to plant as they fly around. The Green Solution, Neem Oil, and Yellow Sticky Cards all are effective in eliminating thrip. and spider miteLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them. infestations can be treated with the green solutionIf you don't want to use a commercial chemical product to treat plant pest problems try the “Green Solution.” This is a mixture of water, alcohol, biodegradable liquid soap, and mineral oil. Always test any spray on one or two leaves to be sure it won’t damage the plant. Depending upon how severe the infestation is, you can use these ingredients in varying proportions. If there are only a few pests, dip a Q-tip in alcohol and gently swab them off. For a more widespread problem, start by using a spray of warm water mixed with a few tablespoons of biodegradable soap. If that doesn’t cure the problem, make a solution using 8oz. water & 8oz. alcohol, add two tablespoons of biodegradable soap and two tablespoons of mineral oil. Spray all areas of the plant. Use this solution on leathery leafed plants (except palms), never on fuzzy leafed plants like African Violets or Begonias. For palms, omit the alcohol from the Green Solution. Never spray a plant that’s sitting in the sun or one with very dry soil.     (recipe in Glossary) or a commercial systemic insecticide approved for flowering plants.

Amaryllis plants develop blotchy leaves from various fungal and bacterial diseases. There is no good remedy for these plant infections. Isolate your plant to prevent diseases from spreading to other plants. Good air circulation and dry leaves help prevent diseases.

Plant an Amaryllis bulb in a good commercial bulb soil. If this is not available, use a quick-draining, nutritious, well-aerated potting mixture. When using a basic potting soil for your Amaryllis bulbs, add some sand and humus to prevent the soil from becoming too heavy when wet.

Amaryllis plants like to be root-bound in small pots.

Prune any diseased leaves so that bacterial or fungal infections do not spread to other parts of the plant.

Propagate your Amaryllis plant using offsetsHouseplant offsets, or pups as they are sometimes called, are the baby plants that form at the base of certain houseplants.Plant offsets can be used to easily propagate new plants. Wait until the plant offsets have grown at least several inches, then gently detach them from the "mother"plant. Hopefully the plant offsets will have a few roots of their own at this point. Plant the offsets in a small container and keep the plant barely moist but never soggy at all times., or "pups" as they are sometimes called. Another way to propagate is to cut the Amaryllis bulb into four sections and plant each section in a 5" pot.

After your Amaryllis has stopped flowering, follow these steps to help it bloom again next year. Cut the dead or dying flowers from the stem. When the stem starts to sag, cut it back to the top of the bulb. Continue to water and fertilize your Amaryllis for at least 5-6 months, allowing the leaves to fully develop and grow. When the leaves begin to yellow, which is normally in the early fall, cut the leaves back to 2 inches above the bulb and remove the bulb from the soil. Clean the bulb and place it in a cool, 40°-50° dark area such as your unheated garage for a minimum of 6 weeks. (Caution: Do not store Amaryllis bulbs in a refrigerator that contains apples. Apples will sterilize the bulbs.) Store the bulbs for a minimum of 6 weeks; this is important! Without this rest, Amaryllis bulbs may not re-flower. After 6 weeks, re-plant the bulbs about 8 weeks before you want them to bloom. Information from: Amaryllis Bulb and Caladium Co. http://www.amaryllis.com/planting-and-care

Amaryllis plants are great gifts any time of the year but especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Amaryllis are very poisonousPlants are a great addition to homes and offices, but it’s important to know whether your plants are dangerous to children, pets, or even adults. Some plants contain chemicals such as oxalates, solanine, glycosides, or alkaloid lycorine that may cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swelling and redness of the mouth, throat, and lips, and trouble breathing. Touching parts of certain plants, especially the sap, may cause various skin irritations. The weight and age of the human or pet involved, and the part and amount of plant eaten determine how severe the reaction to the toxins will be. Although plants may be listed as non-toxic, they can still cause individual allergic reactions. If there is any question after a houseplant has been ingested or touched immediately call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 The Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Paperback]is an excellent reference to keep around if you have young children and pets. bulb plants with a #3 Toxicity levelThese are general guidelines that describe how poisonous certain houseplants are. It's possible for an allergic reaction to occur from contact with any houseplant, toxic or non-toxic. If there is ever a concern, call: Poison Control Center: ******1-800-222-1222****** Level #1: Houseplants with low toxicity, may be mildly irritating, especially the sap of the plant. Level#2: Houseplants with medium to severe toxicity. Eating parts of these houseplants may result in vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties. Level #3: These houseplants are  very poisonous. When eaten, especially in large quantities,  severe vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, skin irritations, and breathing difficulties can occur. Level #4: These houseplants are extremely poisonous. Eating parts of these houseplants can be be life threatening. Every plant listed in our Popular HousePlant guide has a section explaining whether or not it is poisonous and, if so, how poisonous. Amaryllis, alocasia, dieffenbachias, crotons, ivies, azaleas, lilies, and philodendrons are just a few of the highly poisonous plants we use in our homes and offices all of the time. If you don't know whether your houseplant is poisonous, go to Ask Judy on the HousePlant411.com website, send her a picture of your plant, and she'll let you know if the houseplant should be kept away from small children and pets. See colorful pictures and get more information about poisonous houseplants in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants  . All parts of an Amaryllis contain phenanthridine alkaloids that can cause vomiting, very low blood pressure, and breathing problems. The bulbs of an Amaryllis contain oxalates that can cause excessive salivation and abdominal pain.

Here are a few reasons why your Amaryllis may not be producing flowers: Using the wrong plant food. fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.  s high in nitrogen help with leaf production but do not help flowers develop. Use a plant food high in Potassium. Your Amaryllis may not be getting enough light or the temperature may be too cold. The soil is too wet. If you dig up Amaryllis bulbs too early once the flowers fade; the plant may not bloom the following year.

The spots on the leaves, petals, and stems of your Amaryllis plant are caused by plant disease called red blotchThis fungal infection has many names, because it causes so many different problems. Red Blotch is also known as leaf blotch, measles, and red spot. This disease looks worse than it is. Red Blotch causes anything from small red spots to large brownish splotches that can disfigure the leaves, stems, and flowers of a plant. The good news is that blotch does little to harm the basic health of a plant. The outer leaves are affected first because this is where water tends to get on the plant. The lesions never go very deep and so the plant rarely needs to be treated. Remove all dead and decaying plant matter that serves as a breeding ground. Keep water off of the foliage, stems, & flowers; and provide good air circulation to prevent red blotch.. To eliminate red blotchThis fungal infection has many names, because it causes so many different problems. Red Blotch is also known as leaf blotch, measles, and red spot. This disease looks worse than it is. Red Blotch causes anything from small red spots to large brownish splotches that can disfigure the leaves, stems, and flowers of a plant. The good news is that blotch does little to harm the basic health of a plant. The outer leaves are affected first because this is where water tends to get on the plant. The lesions never go very deep and so the plant rarely needs to be treated. Remove all dead and decaying plant matter that serves as a breeding ground. Keep water off of the foliage, stems, & flowers; and provide good air circulation to prevent red blotch., reduce your water, keep the leaves dry, remove any diseased leaves and petals as soon as they appear, and spray your plant with a commercial FungicideFungicides are chemical compounds that are used to kill or inhibit fungi or fungal spores. Fungi can cause serious damage to your houseplants..

Your Mom's Amaryllis plant probably started out as large, plump bulbs while you bought small ones. The larger an Amaryllis bulb the more flowers it produces. Be sure to fertilize your Amaryllis while it is still a flowerless, green plant and give it plenty of very bright lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light..

An indoor Amaryllis plant rarely gets plant pests. If you put the plant outdoors when the weather gets warm, it may attract a few grasshoppers.

An indoor Amaryllis plant rarely gets plant pests. If you put the plant outdoors when the weather gets warm, it may attract a few grasshoppers.