Amaryllis blooming for Christmas
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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
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I agree. My HUGE bulbs stay in pots not in the ground. I have had them for many years and need dividing. They stay in full sun from March until November. Bloom profusely鈥n spring around 20 or more blooms per pot. Some might start growing in the dark before I put them out, but green up fast! They are now in my garage, covered and no water until I bring them out in Spring. I will them feed them throughout the summer and water every day. I live in Maryland. In ground won鈥檛 work鈥oo cold!
Dug up a bulb found between the road and the bay. It鈥檚 used to salt water and poor soil. I don鈥檛 know what to do with it but I want to keep it outside like I found it.
anything to do--should I remove them from soil to dry out or what might I do--thank you
They like sun, and since you probably don't get much rain, yes water and feed.
I live in Southern California zone 10. After my Amaryllis flowers spent in January, all their leaves are still green. I fed them sometimes. They all were grown outside. It's November now, I don't know what to do:
- prune them down to the base or just keep all the green leaves?
- stop watering or not, feed them some food or not?
- keep them in shade or in the sun area?
Please help me by your answers. Thanks so much.
Beatiful
