To amaryllis lovers, the word "peacock" means "double," since the famous peacock series has become the most famous group of double-flowered varieties. And this one is the one most people know--much like a large spectacular waterlily. If you've never grown the doubles, you have a big thrill in store.
Amaryllis How-To: Ever grown an amaryllis inside the house? It's a snap. There can be rain, cold or snow outside, but all you do is plant the bulb in a pot, water this "magic lily", and it zooms into growth. In just a few days, the stems arise, and in a few weeks the enormous flowers begin to open--huge lily blooms up to 8" across! (Each bulb produces one or two stems, each with 3 or 4 flowers!) Then you have the big show for over a month.
Planting Amaryllis: Choose a standard size flower pot, so the large bulb has approx. 1" around sides and at bottom. (These bulbs do not need much root space.) Use soil, or a mixture of soil, peat and perlite. (Do not use pine bark.) Place bulb so top inch or so of bulb sticks up out of the soil.
Watering:Water sparingly until the sprout is well out of the bulb. When first planted, place pot in sunny window, and add "bottom heat" if possible. Many do this by placing pot on a radiator. Once sprout appears, water regularly, but do not overwater. Your amaryllis will grow quickly and produce its spectacular huge flowers. Remember to keep turning the pot regularly to make the stalk grow straight as they have a tendency to grow towards the light. Once in flower, it's best to keep plant out of direct sunlight. Simply remove each flower as it fades. Your bulb will produce several flowers.
Aftercare: When all flowers are gone, cut off the tubular flower stems near the top of the bulb, leaving the foliage to continue growing. Water as usual and apply water-soluble fertilizer every four weeks. In spring, after danger of frost, sink the Amaryllis pot in the garden in a sunny place for the summer. Continue to fertilize. At the end of the summer, place the pot on its side and allow the soil to dry out. Cut off the dry leaves, and in about six weeks repot your bulb in fresh potting soil and start the growing cycle again.
