Ask a Master Gardener: Is Breaking Up Hard to Do?
- Jennifer McDonald
- Sep 3
- 2 min read
By: Barbara Boone, Mobile County Master Gardener, www.mobilecountymastergardeners.org
While Neil Sedaka’s ‘70s song says “breaking up is hard to do,” breaking up your blooming garden plants—like amaryllis—is actually easy. Many gardeners add amaryllis to their gardens and splitting them takes little effort.
Amongst the easiest plants to propagate is an amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.) bulb. Amaryllis are often grown in large clumps which further highlight the vibrant colors of red, pink and white, or a mixture of each color. Growers use various methods to boost amaryllis blooms, creating larger clumps and multiplying bulbs affordably.
One method is to gently pull the bulb out of the soil when foliage begins to wither, usually in October-November. Clean the bulbs of clinging dirt, trim the roots, and observe for smaller bulbs called “offset bulblets” attached to the mother bulb. Trim the yellowish or brown foliage from the mother and daughter and replant in well-draining soil with the neck and shoulder of each bulb exposed just above the soil surface.
Replanted bulbs now enter dormancy, when the bulbs establish new roots and prepare for the next growing season. During dormancy, an important chemical reaction is taking place (chill time) which is the breakdown of plant sugars into smaller molecules to prevent damage to the bulb during the chill time.
Not all amaryllis varieties produce offsets, so another method of making more bulbs is known as “chipping” which is bulb propagation by notching to produce multiple offsets. During the chipping process the mother bulb sacrifices itself and will ultimately die but based on the number of notches in the mother, the number of bulblet daughters will increase. Chipping steps:
1. Clean the mother bulb, removing any papery covering.
2. Using a clean knife (because hygiene is important), cut halfway into the mother bulb with 8 cuts like cutting a pie, leaving the bottom basal plate.
3. Insert zip ties between each cut which prevents the bulb from healing over.
4. Optional: dip the cut bulb into a fungicide.
5. Place the bulb cut side down into pre-moistened vermiculite.
6. Add more moistened vermiculite, keeping the sacrificed bulb slightly moist.
7. Optional: add heat to bottom with a heat mat.
8. Observe for offsets in a few months, and after about +/- 9 months, remove them from the vermiculite and plant in quality potting soil.
Another propagation method is by root splitting. Root splitting steps:
1. Remove bulb from the soil, clean, and trim all roots and leaves.
2. Divide the bulb into equal slices with an alcohol-cleaned knife.
3. Insert each slice into a pot with a 50/50 soil and sand mixture so that about an inch of the slice is above a moistened soil surface.
4. Place in a cool spot and observe for new leaves in about 2 months.
Note: No matter what method is used to propagate amaryllis, pot your patience! In a few months your garden or container will welcome new amaryllis blooms.
