Amaryllis blooming for Christmas
Also receive the 蜜桃恋人 Daily newsletter including gardening tips, weather, astronomical events, and more.
Planting, Growing, and Caring for Amaryllis
Did you grow amaryllis bulbs over Christmas? How do you care for this plant after it finishes blooming? See our plant guide on caring for amaryllis and what to do after the flowers fade.
About Amaryllis
Like daffodils or tulips, the amaryllis plant starts out as a bulb鈥攐ften sold as part of a kit containing the bulb, a heavy pot, and some growing medium (ideally, a sterile, soilless planting mix). They are naturally spring-blooming bulbs, producing flowers at some point between late winter and mid-spring (February to April in the Northern Hemisphere). However, amaryllis are commonly forced to bloom earlier in winter, in time for the winter holidays.
After the flowers die back, the plant鈥檚 large leaves soak up sunlight for the rest of spring and summer, providing them with the energy they鈥檒l need to bloom again in the following spring. With the arrival of autumn, the leaves die back, and the bulb goes dormant until later winter when the blooming process begins anew.
Amaryllis鈥 or Not?
Historically, there has been some confusion regarding the name of this plant. Most amaryllis varieties grown today are hybrids and are not 鈥渢rue amaryllis鈥; they are instead part of the genus Hippeastrum, which is native to tropical parts of South America, from Brazil to the Andes. The true amaryllis鈥攎embers of the genus Amaryllis鈥攁re native to South Africa and are also known as belladonna lilies (despite not being true lilies). That being said, both Hippeastrum and Amaryllis are part of the amaryllis family, so they are all amaryllis in some sense!
The name 鈥渁maryllis鈥 comes from the Greek word amarysso, which means 鈥渢o sparkle.鈥
Planting
Buying Amaryllis Bulbs
When shopping for amaryllis bulbs, you can buy the boxed kits that contain a bulb, a pot, and some soil. These make a nice gift, though there are usually not a lot of color choices鈥攇enerally, they offer red, pink, and white. The flowers are usually the smaller variety, though they should bloom just fine if you follow directions.
Some garden centers offer larger bare bulbs that give you more choice of variety and larger sizes, and each one usually produces two or more flower spikes. Each spike will produce 2 to 4 large, trumpet-shaped blossoms.
Amaryllis bulbs are classified by size, which is determined by measuring around the outside of the bulb at its widest point. Generally, the larger the bulb, the more flowers the plant is capable of producing.
Another good reason for choosing a bare bulb is that you can see the condition of the bulb without having to rummage around in a box. Ensure it is heavy and firm鈥攏ot moldy, squishy, or injured. It should have some fairly long fleshy roots attached, too.
How to Plant Amaryllis Bulbs
- If you can鈥檛 put the bulb in a pot right away, store it in a cool, dry, dark place until you can.
- Amaryllis bulbs may not bloom if they are in too large a pot. There should be no more than 1 inch of space on each side of the bulb, and 1/3 of the bulb should be above the soil line. They prefer to be a bit cramped (pot-bound).
- Use a well-draining potting mix.
- Before planting, soak the bulb鈥檚 roots in lukewarm water for a few hours to rehydrate them.
- Put a layer of soil in the bottom of the pot and position the bulb so the top sticks up above the rim of the pot. Firm the soil around the edge, exposing the top third of the bulb. If planted too deeply, the bulb may rot.
- Place the pot in a bright spot and water, but be wary of overwatering. Allow the soil to dry a bit between waterings.
- Expect beautiful, lily-like blooms in 6 to 8 weeks.
Tip: For a continuous display, start a few bulbs at 2-week intervals. As one finishes blooming, the next will be reaching its peak.
Growing
How to Care for Amaryllis Bulbs
- Display the amaryllis away from drafts in a bright room, but not in direct sunlight.
- Amaryllis plants prefer temperatures in the range of 60掳 to 70掳F (15.5掳 to 21掳C). Keep them away from freezing windows and drying radiators.
- Water sparingly. Only water when the top inch of potting mix is dry, taking care not to get water on the neck of the bulb.
- To promote blooming, use a houseplant fertilizer with high phosphorus content.
- When the flower stalk appears, move the amaryllis into brighter sunlight. Turn the pot every several days for even lighting and to prevent leaning.
- If the stalk starts to lean, insert a stake next to it, taking care not to disturb the bulb. Amaryllis flowers tend to be top-heavy, so stake proactively.
- Once your amaryllis is blooming, you can move it to a cooler location out of direct sunlight to make the blossoms last longer.
- After the flowers have faded, cut them off to prevent seed formation. Cut the stem off at the top of the bulb.
- Grow the amaryllis as a foliage plant through the spring and summer until the leaves turn yellow. Then, store the potted bulb on its side in a cool, dark room or basement to rest for 8 to 10 weeks. See more 鈥減ost-bloom鈥 tips below.
How to Care for Amaryllis After Flowering
One of the most frequently asked questions after the holidays is, 鈥淣ow that my amaryllis has finished flowering, how can I get it to bloom again?鈥 Those bulbs can take center stage again next Christmas if given proper care!
After blossoming, the bulb must grow and store food for the next season鈥檚 bloom. Often, the bulbs actually shrink in size from the stress of blooming and will need time to recover lost nutrients.
Once the blossoms have faded, cut off the flower stalk, but keep the leaves growing by placing the pot in a warm, sunny spot. Water regularly and fertilize weekly with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. This is when next year鈥檚 buds are formed within the bulb.
It takes a minimum of four leaves to produce one flower stalk, because the buds form in the axils of every fourth bulb scale. Keep the plant growing all summer long; you can even move it outside for the summer. Bring it in at the end of August and cut OFF the watering. Let it dry out to induce a period of dormancy. Put the pot in a cool (around 50掳F), dark place. Pull off any dried-up leaves.
To induce flowering in time for Christmas, bring the plant into a warm, sunny location and resume watering around in early to mid-November.
We would recommend repotting it at this time to give the bulb better soil. Or, if you don鈥檛 feel like it, just scrape off the top 2 inches or so of loose soil and replace it with fresh soil. In about 6 to 8 weeks, the amaryllis should be in full bloom again.
What About Waxed Amaryllis Bulbs?
Waxed bulbs are intended for single use. They have all they need to bloom, but after that, they are meant to be discarded. However, you can and should remove blooms on a stalk once they have faded. Also, if a flower stalk itself is fading, often one or two more will start to grow; if desired, you can cut off the fading flower stalk to encourage more growth. (Leave any leaves, though.)
Once flowering has completed, instead of discarding the bulb, you can try to gently remove the wax (avoid disturbing the brown outer layer of the bulb as best you can). Sometimes, the bulb will have plastic wrap underneath the wax, and/or a wire base inserted into the bottom of the bulb; if so, then you want to carefully remove these also. Then, plant the bulb in a pot (not too large鈥攁bout 1 to 2 inches wider than the bulb, and one with drainage holes) filled with potting soil and set in bright indirect light in a warm area; water sparingly. Make sure that the top 1/3 of the bulb sticks above the soil. Follow care instructions as you would for a regular bulb (as mentioned in the article above).
Catherine Boeckmann
ADVERTISEMENT
Hi, Jenn, Do not cut off the leaves. Grow the amaryllis as a foliage plant through the spring and summer until the leaves turn yellow. Then store the potted bulb on its side in a cool, dark room or basement to rest for 8 to 10 weeks.
Brought my amaryllis out the dark in November. It has tall 2 green leaves but no indication of a flowering stalk. What should I do? Just wait?
Hi, Becky, Yes, give it more time. Nature is in no hurry鈥攅ven if it does not bloom until spring.
Long whiteish leaves grew while in dark cool closet. Do I cut them off for it to bloom again? Thanks for any insight.
Hi, Pauline, The white leaves will probably fall off on their own. Continue care as directed above, while waiting for new growth to appear.
Hi Pauline,
An amaryllis bulb will begin to grow even when placed in a dark location for dormancy. This is an indication to remove it from your closet and place it into a location with bright light. Not all bulbs will begin to grow on their own and need to be forced by introducing it to a well-lit location. To promote growth, place your bulb in a sunny spot at room temperature and keep the soil barely moist.
I bought a Christmas bulb this year again, but this one has two coming up together. Should I cut one of them down?
Hi Sandy, Thanks for your question.
The larger sized amaryllis bulbs can produce more than one flower stalk, either at the same time or sequentially. So, no need to cut one of them down because what this means is you will be treated to more of the beautiful flowers when it blooms, hopefully in plenty of time for the holidays!
Thank you for such an informative guide. May I ask what you recommend for a household fertilizer? How frequently do you use it too please.
Thank you.
Jan
This is a very good article that answers many of the commenters questions. Wish I had a cool dark area to store the bulbs. Usually purchase new each year
