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AMARYLLIS FROM SEED TO BLOOM

7/4/2016

41 Comments

 
Picture
No, they're not blooming now. But the red and white of their spring blooms fit perfectly with today's Fourth-of-July theme. The third color, blue, is of course the sky!
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Here's the direct tie in to today - harvesting the papery seeds and sowing them!
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You can barely feel the real seed inside of these papery shards. Just scatter-plant them as they are, and barely cover with a thin layer of potting mix.
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It took a whole year for the seeds to germinate and develop to this extent. It's a slow process!
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Gently loosening the root ball reveals about 250 little bulblets, from 1/4" to 3/4" wide.
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Transplanting to give to other gardeners, I gathered 5 of the bulbs for each 4" container. You could also plant each bulblet in its own corner of the container.
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With my thumb and forefinger of each hand, I press the potting mix around the group of bulbs.
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A flat of transplanted bulbs ready for watering.
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For the larger bulbs, I planted them in the original 6-inch-deep container for more bulb- and root-growing space. I prefer SuperSoil brand potting soil for both sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings because of its consistently small-texture granules.
     Fourth-of-July is mostly apparent – at least in past and future prospect – in my amaryllis.  It’s spring bloom was striped red and white, and – although it’s a stretch of concept – the blue sky behind it completed the holiday color triumvirate.  The current day’s activity is in gathering the seed for a billion more future plants. 
     As my husband observed many years ago, “Gardeners have faith in the future.”  Indeed.  We gather seed, prepare soil, sow seed, water, wait in faith and hope, mulch seedlings, continue watering and protecting, transplant, wait and water and mulch some more, and finally enjoy thriving plants and possibly blooms and fruit. Maybe.
     Sometimes this process may be only a couple of weeks or months or years.  For my amaryllis venture, it’s been one year so far, from when I gathered the seed a year ago, to today’s transplanting of bulblets.  And it’ll be another couple of years before the bulbs are large enough to bloom.  So, yes, definitely faith in the future “payback” of all this effort. 
     But what great fun and expectation in the meantime!
     Here’s the process, so you can do the same with your own amaryllis seeds.
 
Starting Seeds
  1. When blossoms fade, and there are seedpods, continue watering barely to keep the stalk turgid.
  2. When pods have matured completely and split open to reveal the papery black stacks of seeds, gather them into a container.You may or may not feel any actual seed in the papery pieces.
  3. Leave the container uncovered in a coolish dry place until you can plant them.
  4. Scatter the papery shards as best you can in a single layer onto a wide-space bed of potting mix that’s at least six inches deep for extensive root development.
  5. Barely cover seeds with another sprinkling of potting mix. This thin layer will anchor papery seeds and keep barely moist with each watering for better germination.
  6. Place container in a brightly-lit but shaded area with no direct sun to germinate.
  7. Keep barely moist.
  8. Seeds will sprout over a long period of time – from weeks to months. They’ll look like thin blades of grass.
  9. When most have germinated – the pot will look like it’s full of grass – move to a location where it’ll receive a couple of hours of sun each day. Keep soil mix barely moist.
  10. I waited a good year before checking root growth, and found bulblets ranging from one- to three-quarters of an inch wide.If I’d sown them with more space between, I’m sure more of the bulbs would be larger.
 
Transplanting into 4” containers for sharing with other gardeners.
  1. I filled each container halfway with potting mix.
  2. I gathered 5 bulbs together, holding at the point where the green foliage shoots come out of the bulb.
  3. Holding the bulb group over the potting mix with my left hand, I placed a small handful of potting mix to the right of the bulb group, and another handful to the left of the group.
  4. With my four fingers, I pressed the soil mix around the bulb group so it stayed upright.
  5. I watered the containers several times to assure that the potting mix was completely moistened.
  6. I place the containers in a brightly-lit but shaded area with no direct sun.
  7. After about a week, when the foliage stands upright and is vigorously growing, I’ll move the containers to a location where they’ll receive a couple of hours of sun daily.But, I’ll keep an eye on them relative to the summer’s blazing sun, and move them into more filtered light as necessary.
Transplanting into single containers for blooming.
  1. When individual bulbs are perhaps an inch wide, transplant them into individual containers – at least gallon-size – with fresh potting mix.
  2. Or, plant directly into the garden.  I’ve found them to be wonderfully drought-tolerant.
41 Comments
Linda Marie
4/30/2017 02:44:06 pm

Thank you so much. Just planted the black, flat seeds in multiple pots. So excited and appreciative of your help. Now we water and wait 😊

Reply
Yvonne
5/1/2017 05:37:59 pm

Great! I was amazed that so many - perhaps all? - of those papery seeds actually germinated. Good luck!

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Linda
5/1/2017 05:45:07 pm

Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I'm really excited about this. I had 6 flowers. They bloomed a few weeks ago. I didn't even know they were there. Just bo the house. Now I'm excited about having them all over.

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Mark
4/23/2019 08:08:00 am

Thanks a lot from the Netherlands! :)

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Yvonne
4/23/2019 08:39:40 pm

My pleasure!

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Marianne
8/1/2019 03:10:12 pm

So glad to have found this site! I planted my seeds a week and a half ago, and nothing has happened. Now I know not to give up, and will wait another 3 weeks. So excited to see if it works!

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Yvonne
8/1/2019 03:27:01 pm

Hi, Marianne -- Yes, keep soil mix moist (not soggy), in filtered or bright (but not direct) light, and wait. The last batch I'd sown took several weeks.

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Lynda Eichorst
8/7/2019 01:05:47 pm

My seeds sprouted! They are 1”-2” tall. My question is I live in Texas and not sure if I should plant them outside or keep them inside until next spring? Our winters aren’t too bad but wondering if they can tolerate cold temperatures?

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Yvonne Savio
8/7/2019 02:59:44 pm

Hi, Lynda -- The little seedlings will need to develop for another year into 1/2" bulblets before being up potted or set outdoors. So, repot them individually into 4" pots and keep moist throughout the fall and winter so they can develop fuller root systems and that bulb.
Then you can plant them into their final place, either into 6+" pots or into the outdoor garden.

Reply
Michael Hudson
4/11/2020 01:58:38 pm

I'm in College Station/Central Texas and mine have been outside for years and doing great. The current seedlings are about 1 year old, seeded and growing on their own.

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Yvonne Savio
4/11/2020 11:25:50 pm

Yay, Michael!

saundra wallac link
6/28/2020 09:42:39 am

How long from seed to bloom??

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Yvonne Savio
6/28/2020 12:29:59 pm

Hi, Saundra -- My third paragraph indicates the long process -- Sometimes this process may be only a couple of weeks or months or years. For my amaryllis venture, it’s been one year so far, from when I gathered the seed a year ago, to today’s transplanting of bulblets. And it’ll be another couple of years before the bulbs are large enough to bloom.

Reply
Vicky
9/7/2020 09:59:42 am

I have planted Amaryllis seeds many times over the years so I have some unusual Amaryllis' already. I am very familiar with what the seeds look like etc. But one of my grown from seed Amaryllis' bloomed and then developed really large seed pods. I was excitedly waiting to get the seeds after the pod matured. When it did finally mature, what came out were what looks like small gladiolus bulbs. Have you ever seen something like that? I really want to grow them so just trying to get some advice. I can't find anything about it online even. It is so strange to me. Thanks!

Reply
Yvonne Savio link
9/7/2020 02:59:12 pm

Hi, Vicky -- How interesting! Perhaps the little bulblets are another stage in the reproductive cycle of whatever variety you've "developed"! In several mentions online, the terms "bulblets" and "offsets" are used only regarding coming from the mother bulb, not the top of the seedstalk. Do plant them, and see what you get!

Reply
Vicky
9/7/2020 08:46:46 pm

Hi Yvonne! I just solved the mystery. I remembered how different the bloom looked on this particular "Amaryllis". The flowers were fragrant, white with long thin petals and they branched up and out from the main stalk. In fact, normally I see a seed pod develop right at the base of the Amaryllis blossom, but this one developed a pod well below the base of the blossom, where the branches met back at the main stalk. This was a Crinum Lily! Amaryllis and Crinum are both part of the Amaryllidaceae family. So, I guess some how I got a Crinum from my Amaryllis'. I am excited to see what I end up with from these bulbs and quite glad I now have some info to help me care for them. Just thought I would share what I found out. Thank you so much for responding to my question earlier.

Yvonne Savio link
9/7/2020 09:16:05 pm

Hi, Vicky -- Oh, what fun, rethinking and remembering and observing ends up providing us with more info and a discovery! Yay!

Reply
Linda Brown
12/29/2020 09:49:49 pm

I am waiting for my first seeds. Seed pod is starting to turn brown but the flower stalk has dropped about halfway down and seems to be very limp.
Wondering if the seeds are going to be viable ?
I have large clumps of amaryllis outside in my flower beds. Wondering if I should thin them out..

Reply
Lorraine Weaver
2/28/2021 03:21:13 pm

I was given a waterless amaryllis. This is the first time I've ever had an amaryllis give a seed head. Is the care for a waterless one different than a regular grow-in-the-ground bulb?

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Yvonne Savio
2/28/2021 05:20:03 pm

Hi, Lorraine -- I've never heard of a "waterless" amaryllis. By "seed head" I assume you mean that the bloom has withered and formed a pod with the black papery seeds in it. Please email me at GardeningInLA@gmail.com and send a photo or description of what the package or other information says. Thanks!

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Carolina
4/19/2021 10:15:34 am

I planted seeds a year ago and I got two small green leaves from two of them. I did have them outside during the summer but they really never grew. They were about 1 and 1/2 inch only and in the fall they did die, at least I thought they did. They came up this spring and are now the same size as my newly propagated seeds. What am I doing wrong? They are in individual pots. How much nutrient should i give them? Should they be under direct light or not. Indoor or cold garage? Did you have them outdoor for a year?

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Yvonne Savio
4/19/2021 11:12:57 am

Hi, Carolina --

Genetics of individual seeds are different; perhaps yours was just not as vigorous as others.They should be ok with some fertilizer and in direct sun for as much of the day as you can manage.

Reply
sonia minors
5/8/2021 02:23:43 pm

I have been self pollinating growing amaryllis for several years. This year I have what should be a seed pod after I picked the flower off but it appears to have a small bloom forming from in the center of it instead of a brown crust. Curious if anyone else has had this happen. No way here to show a picture. It's large enough I can see white and pink.

Reply
Yvonne Savio
5/9/2021 01:31:11 pm

Hi, Sonia -- Oddities are definitely interesting! Maybe, if it sets its own seed, collect it and grow it out to see what results!

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sonia minors
7/20/2021 04:38:03 pm

What appeared to be a pink and white forming from the seed pod did not mature and neither did the seed pod. I have had success floating seeds in water then planting after roots and leaves appear. Over 300 one year. This year I self pollinated reds to white with pink stripes and visa versa. Will have to wait two to three years to know if they will produce a different flower. Also, I had one very small plant with two shoots. One shoot produced two flowers and the other one. All flowers were very small. Is it possible a bulb that reproduced itself produced a dwarf bulb? It too now has two small bulbs. Self pollinating did not take. I'm just a backyard gardener that gives bulbs to friends to get rid of them. I'm running out of friends to give bulbs to.

Matthew
7/19/2021 07:43:31 pm

Hi, I've sprouted some seeds and some of the sprouts have a burgundy like coloring & 2 are a pale cream. This is my fist time attempting to grow amaryllis from seed and I'm worried they might be diseased. I have them outdoors in SoCal with temps in the high 80's-high 90's, once or twice in the low 100's, and I water them nearly every morning in peat pots with the water wicking up. Most days the water is gone by the evening, if I skip a day they dry out.

Reply
Yvonne Savio
7/20/2021 10:32:41 am

Hi, Matthew -- Not to worry. Mine had those colored spots too. It's just genetic variation. Do be wary of overwatering, but you seem to be ok since the bottom of the tray is dry by each evening.

Reply
Maryellen
8/3/2021 12:00:27 pm

I started amaryllis from seed 2 years ago. They seem to be flourishing in a large 15” pot. I am going to divide them into two large 15” pots. How will I know when they are ready to flower!

Reply
Yvonne Savio
8/6/2021 12:58:47 pm

Hi, Maryellen -- The bulbs will be mature enough to bloom after a couple of years and each is about 4" in diameter, but there maybe varietal differences.

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Pernille
9/5/2021 09:00:51 am

Hi, I planted amaryllis seed earlier in the spring ‘21. They are 5-6 in tall now and looking healthy. My question is - do they need a dormancy period as the large Bulls do (I keep my amaryllis from year to year)? If they do, how do I do that? Thank you so much.
Pernille

Reply
Yvonne Savio
9/5/2021 10:51:24 am

Hi, Pernille -- Just let them grow as they will, letting them continue greening or going dormant since they're just developing.

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Erlinda Devera
9/18/2021 05:42:58 am

I have my amaryllis bulb with yellow leaves which I cut it off 2inches above the bulb ,should I dig out & keep it for 6_8 weeks dormant then replant to get it flower ?

Reply
Yvonne
4/30/2022 10:34:21 am

Hi, Erlinda -- Sorry that I just found your query. If your garden is in our Southern California area, leave the bulb planted. After it blooms the next time, be sure to leave the foliage to get yellow and completely dried out and crispy before removing it -- that energy gets reabsorbed by the bulb to help it bloom the next time.

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Yvonne Savio
9/18/2021 05:29:00 pm

Hi, Erlinda -- Just leave the bulb in the pot or soil to go fully dormant (don't water it anymore until it sends up next year's shoots. In the future, don't cut off the yellowing foliage until it's brown and crispy dry - the bulb reabsorbs all that energy back into the bulb for next year's bloom.

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Kathy Sumrall
10/29/2021 03:46:29 pm

Thank you so much for these pictures with descriptions!! I have the pot full of 'grass' --yes seedlings!

Unfortunately, they surround some swamp hibiscus I need to transplant.

Should I go ahead and put the seedlings in their own space, or do they seem to do better when they are close together at this stage?

Reply
Yvonne
4/30/2022 10:36:37 am

Hi, Kathy -- My apologies for just now seeing your query. Either way is fine - leaving the "grass" to develop more, or removing them from around the swamp hibiscus. Ultimately, though, all the plants will do better when they have their own dedicated areas from which to absorb fertilizer and moisture.

Reply
Sonny Taylor
4/29/2022 05:54:28 pm

Here is my amaryllis seedheads.

Reply
Yvonne
4/30/2022 10:38:10 am

Hi, Sonny -- If you included a photo, it didn't come through. If you have a particular question, please email it along with your photo to GardeningInLA@gmail.com

Reply
Sonia Minors
4/30/2022 04:04:24 am

Five years ago I gathered amaryllis seeds and floated them in water in take-out containers with clear tops and kept them there until they produced two leaves before planting in small pots. It made it easy to choose the hardiest without disturbing the tiny roots. I ended up with approx 350 plants. Those, along with bulbs that reproduced on their own have kept me busy giving away amaryllis bulbs ready to bloom this year. Won't do that again.

Reply
Yvonne
4/30/2022 10:39:28 am

Hi, Sonia -- Congratulations and commisserations on your grand success in sprouting and growing your amaryllis!

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Dorothy link
2/5/2023 06:28:37 am

Yvonne for several years now I had dropped the seeds back into the pot with the parent. The last time I reported one parent there wS a bullet as you described! I just reported it all with the parent and low and behold it is thriving as well as the parent. Looking forward to seeing it grow and mature into a blooming beautiful bulbs its5 parent.

Reply



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