How to Care for Amaryllis Post Flowering
Hey BFF! So you grew and watched your amaryllis flower and now it’s time to do something else with it! Eeekk! Are you freaking out yet?? Well, don’t be! Amaryllis are super easy to care for after the holiday season is over! Here a simple step-by-step process to get your amaryllis to bloom each year! It may take a little timing and marking your calendar, but it is definitely worth your time and effort to enjoy these tropical flowers during the cold months of the year!
Step 1
Once the flower stem has started to wilt, take a sharp knife and cut off the stem leaving all the green leaves. Keep watering it on a regular basis until it is time to fill your outside pots with annuals. Amaryllis need to continue to grow to replenish the nutrition it used to grow the flower, and the foliage will help replenish these much-needed nutrients all summer!
Step 2
Plant the bulb in a partially shaded area in the ground or in a pot. I like planting the bulb with my annuals; the foliage creates a dynamic effect! Water as needed throughout the summer. Fertilize with a weak solution throughout the summer.
Step 3
You have two options:
If you want your amaryllis to bloom at Christmas time this is your timeline:
Bring your amaryllis indoors in the first two weeks of September. Place your bulb in a cool and dark location such as the basement. Your Amaryllis needs to be chilled between 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 weeks. Once you place your plant in a cooling location, do not water it. Once the leaves turn brown cut them off.
If you don’t have a location in your home that is cool enough in September through November there is another option. Allow mother nature to handle the cooling period. Once temperatures start consistently in the 50’s bring your amaryllis bulb into a garage or any outdoor structure that is not insulated well. Place a brown paper bag over the plant to initiate darkness. And stop watering it. Here in the midwest, we can have swings of warm and cold weather throughout the fall. Therefore, placing your amaryllis in a building will provide a more consistent cool temperature.
Step 4:
Once your bulb has chilled for 8-10 weeks bring it indoors and replant. You may need to cut some of the roots off to fit in your pot. Refer to my original blog, How to Care for Your Amaryllis, to learn how to plant your amaryllis. After planting do not forget to give it a good drink of water. Withhold water until you see new growth. Then enjoy your fruits of labor watching it flower!
I hope you are able to enjoy your amaryllis year after year! These flowers grow so fast even my children enjoyed watching them grow! They were shocked how much it grew from day today! Even my uncle had to draw a line on the stem of his amaryllis because he couldn’t believe how fast it grew! These flowers are simply amazing and provide years of lavish wonder! Amaryllis are known to bloom for at least sixty years! What an awesome adventure this would be! Enjoy!