With their lavish blooms, amaryllis banish the dreariness of winter from the house. At the same time, in the glass you can experience up close the miracle of growth, which otherwise takes place deeply hidden in the substrate. These instructions explain step by step how to stage a knight's star in a glass.
How to grow amaryllis in a glass?
To grow amaryllis in a glass, choose small varieties such as Baby Star, Papillio or Chicco and place the bulb in a specially shaped amaryllis container in October or November. Pour in boiled water, keep 5-6 cm away from the onion and add a piece of charcoal to prevent rot.
The best varieties for cultivation in glass
It is obvious that the long-stemmed Ritterstern varieties are not well kept in a glass. The risk of the amaryllis and its container tipping over when the stem extends is far too great. Therefore, choose the hippeastrum, which remains small. We have put together a selection of suitable candidates for you here:
- Baby Star impresses with 9-12 cm small, red and white striped flowers and a growth height of 30-40 cm
- Papillio boasts green-white flowers, decorated with dark red spots and a height of 40 cm
- Chicco impresses with delicate, pink-green striped flowers and a delicate 30 cm height
In addition to a low height, the Ritterstern variety chosen for the glass should have simple flowers in order to keep the weight at a low level.
It depends on this glass shape
Decorative amaryllis glasses are available from specialist retailers and are specially shaped for driving. Before you pull out your wallet, take a look around the house to see if you already own a similarly proportioned vessel. It has a bulbous base and an hourglass-like constriction that opens into a bowl shape at the top.
Instructions for growing amaryllis
In October or November is the best time to position the flower bulb in the glass. In a bright location at normal room temperatures, you can look forward to magnificent flowers after 4 to 6 weeks. Before you start, please wear gloves as the onion is very poisonous. This is how it works:
- Pour boiled water into the bulbous part
- A bit of charcoal added prevents rot
- Put the Ritterstern onion in the bowl
Please ensure that there is a distance of 5-6 cm between the water level and the flower bulb. Every day you can watch live how the roots grow into the water. If the liquid becomes cloudy, replace it.
Pot after flowering
An onion can only achieve the impressive spectacle of a Ritterstern flower in a glass once in its life. In the following years, the amaryllis thrives vitally and blooms in normal substrate. At the end of the flowering period, place half of the bulb in a mix of potting and cactus soil and cut off the withered flowers.
Tip
To give a knight's star in the glass more stability, add a few twigs. The flower stem can lean on this and stay balanced. At the same time, you create a decorative appearance when the dark wood contrasts with the bright flower colors.
