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Trying a paper towel

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Planted seeds

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Seeds

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Starting to display some color!

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Such a beauty!

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It has 4 flowers and one more that hasn't opened yet.

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Do you want to REGROW your Amaryllis next year? 

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Do you want to REGROW your Amaryllis next year? 

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Have your flowers faded?  It is time to cut back the flower stalks to 1/2 inch above the bulb. Don’t cut the leaves just yet! They are needed to gather energy to grow next winter. Once all danger of frost has passed, move the pot outdoors in bright sun and continue to water. The healthier the leaves, the better able they will be to replenish the nutrients in the bulb, and the bigger the flowers next winter. In late summer, begin withholding water and let the foliage die back naturally as the pot dries out completely. Place the bulb in a cool, dark, and dry place. While your bulb is dormant it won’t need any water or attention. Amaryllis needs 6-8 weeks to rest. When you are ready to replant your bulb, place it back in its pot with fresh potting soil and its shoulders above the soil. Give it one good drink of water and place it in a warm, sunny window. Before long it should start growing...again!

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AMAZING drawing by Karsten & Katrina Petersen's Mom!

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up close

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My amaryllis has 7 blooms!

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Beautiful Blooms

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It’s blooming!

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Our amaryllis bloomed! We love the colors! It is 23 inches tall!
-Grant Beasley

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These bulbs were planted on the SAME DAY! Check out the difference. Amaryllis bulbs can be unpredictable!

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Mrs. Cohn’s Amaryllis blooms.It is  22 inches tall! That’s almost as tall as me.

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Olivia & Henry Brennan’s Amaryllis blooms

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Olivia & Henry Brennan’s Amaryllis blooms

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Week 6 and 12 inches

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Week 6 and 22 inches

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Saheli's first bloom has slowly been opening this morning!

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Week 6 and 5 inches!

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Week 8 and 19 inches!

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Week 5

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This Week in the Garden ~ December 14, 2020

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My plant has sprouted but is no longer growing. The key to growing Amaryllis is temperature, water and light. Move your plant to a sunnier location, be sure the soil is moist but not wet and the room temperature is mid-60’s to mid-70’s range. If no change, you can give your plant a liquid fertilizer every 2-4 weeks.

There is mold growing on the soil. Soil mold should not be a problem. It may be due to too much water. Let your soil dry out and poke holes to aerate the soil. You can also add cinnamon to the soil to control the mold.

There is rot on my bulb.  Amaryllis bulbs may rot due to overwatering. If there is a lot of dead (onion like skin) materials around the bulb, you can peel some of the rotted husk off. Let the bulb dry out over a few days and replant in new topsoil.

Nothing at all has happened. Am I doing anything wrong?

No! Your bulb may not have woken up quite yet. Each bulb is different so one bulb may be sprouting and the other dormant. Amaryllis bulbs can take 6-8 weeks, sometimes longer, to sprout. Once the bulb has sprouted and is in active growth, you can expect to see flowers in 3 to 4 weeks. Amaryllis bulbs are somewhat unpredictable and may refuse to sprout until they're good and ready. Be patient. As long as you don't overwater and the bulb stays firm, it will eventually bloom!

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Dover COA

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Dover COA

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This Week in the Garden ~ November 30, 2020

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Had a fun time planting the amaryllis!

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Planted our bulb just now.  Hoping for a bloom to usher in 2021!

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Fun amaryllis project by Jay and Ryan Kulkarni.

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Fun amaryllis project by Jay and Ryan Kulkarni.

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I planted my amaryllis! I can't wait to watch it grow! -Grant Beasley

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We are SO EXCITED for the Amaryllis bulbs to wake up and start growing. Post and share your beautiful gardens!

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Ian, Graham & Sally

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This Week in the Garden ~ November 16, 2020

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​Chickering GROWS is a PTO-sponsored community initiative that encourages Chickering students, teachers & staff, COA members & DMA families to learn about gardening and gain hands-on experience growing their own plants at home while connecting with the Chickering community. Post Photos, Pose Questions, Make Comments. We can't wait to GROW with you!

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We can't wait to GROW with the Dover Mother's Association this winter!

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Chickering GROWS welcomes Council On Aging (COA) members! Our shared goal is for students and seniors to experience increased wellness from the therapeutic qualities of gardening as well as create lasting and meaningful connections with one another!

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We will be growing AMARYLLIS and learning all about bulbs. Amaryllis are impressive, winter-blooming bulbs that produce long stems and big, brightly colored flowers! https://www.doverpto.org/chickering-grows

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Amaryllis is more properly known by the genus name Hippeastrum. There are dozens of species and hundreds of named varieties, including the Red Lion, Apple Blossom, and Striped Minerva! Even though it is most common to find Amaryllis during the winter, they are actually tender perennials. Amaryllis is native to the warm, tropical regions of South America and the Caribbean. Grown from seed, Amaryllis takes 6 years to reach maturity and bloom, and another 3-5 years for the bulbs to divide and grow into a marketable size. If properly cared for, Amaryllis bulbs can regrow flowers year after year for up to 75 years!

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Bulbs come in all shapes and sizes! They serve as food storage lockers for plants, packed with enough food for the whole growing season to survive tough months, as well as sprout new plants! There are several types of bulbs, including True Bulbs, Corms, Tubers, and Rhizomes. Amaryllis is a True Bulb, which grows in layers like an onion. Inside the tube is a “mini’ version of the plant’s flower!

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The name Amaryllis comes from Virgil's 'Eclogues'. In his epic poem, Virgil describes a beautiful nymph named 'Amarysso', meaning 'to sparkle'. Amaryllis is associated with determination because of its height and sturdiness. And because its flower blossoms for a long time, it is symbolic of achieving success over a long and difficult struggle. Hippeastrum also has an interesting story. The name is derived from the Greek words for horse and star, or “horseman's star."

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Amaryllis produce beautiful, bell-shaped flowers in an assortment of hues, including shades of red, pink, white and orange, along with combinations of these colors. The different color varieties of the Amaryllis also have special meaning! The red color represents radiant beauty. Yellow is symbolic of luck and good times ahead. Orange means health and happiness. Purple is symbolic of royalty. Pink represents love and friendship while white means childhood and innocence.

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The name of Amaryllis comes from Virgil’s ‘Eclogues’. In his epic poem, Virgil described a nymph named ‘Amarysso’, meaning ‘to sparkle’.  The story goes like this: There once was a beautiful maiden. Her name was Amaryllis. She fell in love with the shepherd Alteo. He was strong and handsome and had a passion for flowers. Amaryllis went to the Oracle of Delphi for advice on how to win his affection. The Oracle ordered her to stand in front of Alteo’s house for thirty nights piercing her heart with a golden arrow. On the thirtieth night, a beautiful flower grew from her blood. When Alteo finally opened the door he was stunned. He asked her name and she told him. He said he would name the flower Amaryllis. He fell in love with her and the deep red flowers. Her heart was healed instantly and they lived happily ever after!

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A HUGE shout-out to families who donated kits! Thanks to you the Dover PTO is able to provide  Chickering teachers and staff with WINTER garden kits to grow in their homes and classrooms!

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Once you assemble your Amaryllis kit, water once and not again until the bulb begins to grow or the soil becomes dry. Over-watering a dormant bulb may cause bulb rot. Watering can be increased to weekly once the plant is about 8"  high. No fertilizer is required! The bulb contains all the nutrients the plant needs to produce leaves and flower stalks.

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You may ask, why would I eat my bulb? Well, some plant bulbs are edible, like those in the allium family - onions, garlic and leeks. While Amaryllis are lovely to look at, DO NOT EAT! The main toxin is an alkaloid chemical known as lycorine that is contained in the leaves, stem and bulb. KEEP OUT OF REACH of small humans and pets!

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Red Lion

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Apple Blossom

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Striped Minerva