I haven't read a lot about Amaryllis bulbs being propagated through cuttage but since they are bulbs, there is no reason why they can't be propagated this way. I've posted about vegetative propagation of the Amaryllis before and about how to pollinate the flowers. Honestly, this method is a bit of an experiment for me.
I do not recommend you try this with your Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) if it is the only one you have or it is a very expensive Amaryllis cultivar. If the cuttings fail for me, I won't cry because it was an inexpensive plant for me.
Depending on the size of your bulb you can get four or more cuttings from it. This particular Amaryllis is rather young and small so I only made a few cuttings.
Start by cutting your Amaryllis bulb into halves.
Cut those halves into halves. The important part here is that each of the bulbs have a portion of the basal plat still attached along with a few bulb scales. The basal plate of the bulb is at the bottom, the flat part, where the roots of your plant emerge from.
I stopped cutting this Amaryllis bulb up when I got four pieces, because it was so small. At this point you'll want to dust your cuttings with a fungicide to prevent disease.
Insert the cuttings (basal plate down) about 1/3 of the way down into a loose and well draining potting mixture. I chose to plant my Amaryllis cuttings in pure perlite but I'm going to mix in some coir later.
Keep the potting mixture you're using moist, making sure it doesn't stay soggy for long. In about 4-8 weeks bulblets will begin to form in between the scales of the cut pieces. Once your bulblets have developed two sets of leaves you can remove them and place them into a pot of their own, you should expect your Amaryllis to flower within 2-3 years.
I've made a short video of me taking cuttings of this Amaryllis bulb.
Garden Book: "Bulb" by Anna Pavord
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Earlier this month, I was offered a review copy of Bulb by Anna Pavord and the chance to talk to the author on the phone while she was visiting the U.S. to t...



4 comments:
Thanks! I read about propagating Hyacinths by scoring an X on the basal plate. I wonder if this might work on Amaryllis, that is inducing offsets but at the same time, maintaining the integrity of the bulb so that it can continue to grow and bloom.
Musa,
I've read that you can do it with Amaryllis bulbs, but have yet to try it. That is my next experiment.
Good luck. I will find a sacrificial Apple Blossom or whatever at Walmart and try it myself too and report back if it works.
Musa,
I was thinking the exact same thing! I almost bought one at Home Depot today for this purpose.
Do keep in touch.
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