Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) This plant can live for up to 50 years General Care (while blooming) Temperature: 60o-75o Light: Place in a spot which gets bright light but not direct sunlight for longer bloom time. Water: Water sparingly while blooming. Allow to dry out between waterings. Humidity: Normal, but not overly dry. Do not mist plant. Fertilization: Feed regularly with any complete food.   Starting from a bulb Place the bulb and all its roots in lukewarm water for several hours. Use a pot with good drainage, which is about 2 inchs wider than the diameter of the bulb. Plant the dormant bulb in new potting soil, leaving the top third of the bulb uncovered. Place the pot in a sunny spot, away from any heat sources.  During the first few weeks, water lightly until leaves appear, then keep the soil evenly moist. Turn the pot often, because the plant will grow quickly toward the light. About six to eight weeks after potting, the bulb will send up thick flower stems topped with huge, showy blooms, which will last about two weeks.   Reblooming your amaryllis next year When blooms have died, cut back the flower stem to within an inch or so of the bulb. A long leaf will come up where the stem was. After all danger of frost has passed, the pot may be put outside away from direct sun or buried up to its rim in a partly shaded place in the garden . Watch for slugs and snails, which can eat the leaves and bulb. Water well and feed with half-strength complete fertilizer according to directions. Buried pots may send roots through into the surrounding soil, which can be cut when pot is removed. When the foliage yellows (usually in late summer), begin to water plant less. Before the first frost in fall, return the pot to a dark location indoors and allow the foliage to die back, if it has not already. After a dormant period of 8 to 12 weeks, place the pot  in direct sun. Within a few weeks new growth should appear, and the planting cycle will begin anew. When plant begins to bloom, move to a bright spot, not in direct sun. back