In a Vase on Monday: Amaryllis As a Cut Flower

I recently posted a photo of my 'Ambiance' amaryllis (Hippeastrum) on Facebook and happened to mention the fact that amaryllis as a cut flower lasts longer than if it remains attached to its bulb. A few people were surprised to hear that.

There may be a couple of good reasons why this comes as a surprise to some. (It surprised me the first time I heard it, too.) For one thing, most people who buy amaryllis bulbs do so just prior to the holiday season, they follow the planting instructions on the box or tag, and then dispose of it all once it's done blooming. I think more people throw them away than keep the bulbs from year to year.

All my amaryllis bulbs spend the summer in two galvanized
fire ring raised beds, where they gather nutrients and energy
from the sun to form next year's flowers. I dig them back up
in late September.

There's really nothing wrong with throwing the bulb out, I guess, other than it seems a shame to do that when they can give you so many more years of enjoyment than just a few weeks at Christmastime . . . for one year.

The other thing is that you almost never see amaryllis sold as a cut flower, so it probably just doesn't occur to people to cut them and put them in a vase.

If you don't cut them, the blooms will normally last about a week. If you cut them, you can often get two weeks out of them, sometimes more.


Here's how to make your amaryllis blooms last longer:

Prepare your vase ahead of time by filling it with water. You can add a floral preserving powder to the water if you want, but I usually don't.

Take cotton balls and make smaller balls that will fit inside the cut flower stalk. 
 

Cut the flower stalk at the base, taking care to not cut any emerging foliage. It's best to cut them when the buds are just beginning to open. Immediately turn it upside down and fill the hollow stalk with water.

Take the cotton and wet it, then stuff it into the bottom of the flower stalk.

Place the flower stalk in the vase of water. Replace the water every 2-3 days, both inside the flower stalks and in the vase.

As with everything, your mileage may vary.

 

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In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. 

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Hippeastrum 'Ambiance'