flowers – Fruition

August 31, 2023Juli Pomainville

Timing a Glorious Amaryllis Bloom

Plants don’t often bloom when we tell them to, but ever since a friend gave me some instructions back in 1997, I’ve been able to get my amaryllis and Christmas cacti to bloom on demand. When I took the time to mark a few dates on my calendar and follow through, I got lovely blooms for the holiday season exactly when I wanted them. That little bit of knowledge piqued my interest, and I’ve done a bit of research since then. This post and the next convey what I’ve learned about amaryllis and Christmas cacti and controlling their bloom time. Let’s start with Amaryllis.

Amaryllis will bloom for you each year and believe it or not, you can use the same bulb for literally decades if you treat it right. These plants naturally grow in the spring and summer, and bloom in fall and winter, so we need to recreate those conditions on a timeline to get gorgeous flowers when we want them.

Timeline:

Start waking your dormant, bare bulbs 10-12 weeks before you want blooms (October 1 if planning for Christmas.) Note: If your bulb isn’t already dormant, start creating the artificial dormancy in mid-September.

Tip: For Christmas blooms, starting October 1 plant a bulb per week for 3 weeks if you want to ensure blooms happen on the desired date. Environmental conditions are naturally variable– the bulb, the soil, the moisture in the air, and a myriad of other things contribute to how fast a plant grows. Three bulbs will provide good insurance.

When purchasing an amaryllis bulb, go big. The bigger the bulb, the bigger the stems to support the blooms. Also, small bulbs may not flower for you as they may not be mature. Read more Timing a Glorious Amaryllis Bloom

May 6, 2022Juli Pomainville

Create a cut flower garden Part II: Planting

Read Part I of this series, here: Create a cut flower garden: Planning

When choosing a location for a cut flower garden, look for an area where you’ll be able to pass comfortably, even when carrying a basket or bucket of flowers. Consider a border against a south facing wall of your home, a designated garden patch, or even adding clumps or rows of flowers to an existing vegetable garden.

Cut flowers need well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter so that it will hold water for your blossoms. Plan to work in 2-3 inches of compost or well-rotted leaves to your soil. Add a dose of a balanced, slow-acting granular organic fertilizer at the beginning of the season. If you notice blooms fading later on, fertilize them during the season as well.

Transplant your seedlings after the last spring frost (May 15-31 for Zone 4). Be sure to check the heights of your mature flowers and plant the tall ones to the north of the shorter flowers to prevent shading. For direct seeded plants, sow a few extra seeds – we have a short growing season and don’t have time to reseed if they don’t germinate the first time. It’s better to thin them later than to start over. To control weeds and retain soil moisture, add a 2-3” layer of mulch around the plants, staying at least an inch away from the plant on all sides. Read more Create a cut flower garden Part II: Planting

November 9, 2021Carolyn Filippi

There’s Still Time to Plant Hardy Bulbs!

Flowering bulbs are easy to care for and add color and texture to a garden. The term “bulb” often refers not only to true bulbs (like daffodils and tulips) but also to plants with tuberous roots (such a begonias), tubers (such as dahlias), corms (such as crocus) and rhizomes (such as iris.)

Bulbs can be separated into two main types: spring and summer. Spring bulbs, also called hardy bulbs, are planted in fall, spend winter in the ground, and flower in spring. Some of the more common spring bulbs are tulips, irises, daffodils, hyacinth, allium and crocus. Hardy bulbs can be left in the ground to flower year after year.