Many gardeners have enjoyed great amaryllis in containers and in the ground. The flowers are large and provide lots of color for the landscape. We have some along walkways and others in pots that are stationed along a railing where they burst in to spring bloom.
As the flowers fade gardeners then notice some knobby portions at the top. Are they needed? Should I cut them off? What should I do? These are the questions.
Those sort of oval portions can be left to grow or the whole stalk can be cut off. If left, these will eventually fill with seeds. It could be fun starting your next amaryllis plantings from some of your own seeds. Who knows, you may just get plants of a different color.
If you want to take the challenge leave the knobs to mature and gradually turn yellow and pop open. Then harvest the seeds. They look like wafers and certainly could not contain much life. But they do and the seeds inside can grow your next plants.
Simply scatter the seeds over the surface of a container of potting soil. Space them out about an inch apart and cover lightly with soil. Keep them moist and in the filtered sun and the new plants should be up and growing in about 2 weeks.
When the seedlings have a little size, transplant them to small pots or cell packs. Keep them moist and feed lightly every 3 to 4 weeks during the warmer weather. Gradually step them up to larger containers and keep them in the filtered to full sun locations. Eventfully they could be set in the ground if you wish.
Now here is the tough part. Some say you can have seedlings in bloom in a year. I found I need about three years. Maybe I am just a bit slower than others.
