Forcing amaryllis and muscari bulbs: An At Home Journal (Weeks 12 - 13)

Amaryllis 'Splash' flowers open day by day. Smaller buds are developing at the center. Appropriately, the red and white flowers began to open on Valentine's Day.

 Feb 25:

Amaryllis 'Splash' opening. In the rush of activity, I am only now getting to the amaryllis photos, which I shot over several days starting Feb. 14. The first bloom was fully open by Feb. 18, and the second opened Feb. 23. 'Splash' is the largest, and was first to open of three amaryllis bulbs I grew in vases of water, starting all on Dec. 4 along with the indoor-blooming, water-grown grape hyacinth bulbs that have added so much beauty and excitement to my home over these last few cold and snowy weeks.

Amaryllis 'Double King' with its purple markings

Two of the amaryllis bulbs, including 'Splash' were set on marbles to keep them dry and above the water line, encouraging them to send visible roots through the glass marbles, growing slowly over the months. Splash has a very thick stem with a redish undertone that suggested the flowers' color before they began to open. 

'Magnum' the other bulb grown on marbles has a small opening at the tip of its first flower bud. The bud is much smaller than those on 'Splash,' and growing on a long green stalk. 

'Double King' was grown in only water, its bulb set atop a florist's vase. It is the showiest of the three amaryllis plants, with three well developed flower buds that have deep purple markings like its stems.

To test different conditions - but more to spread a little flower joy, 'Double King' had been growing at a friend's house in front of a large sliding glass door. It started much more slowly than the others and its growth improved dramatically when it was moved up to a nearby window sill where it might have gotten more sunlight.

For casual scientific observation, it was probably a mistake to have this bulb growing in a different location AND using a varied growing technique because there are now so many variables (ideally, I would have tested the soil-free growing technique with the same bulb type, anyway). But this, obviously, is more about fun and adventure than pure science. 

Each of the amaryllis plants has more flower stems emerging, and I plan to cut the flowering stem from 'Splash' as soon as all the flowers bloom to see if it will encourage growth and flower development on the other stems.