How to Grow and Care for Amaryllis (and Make the Bulbs Rebloom!):- Winter can be difficult for gardeners, but one of the best things about amaryllis is that it can withstand the harsh conditions. The blossoms that they produce are of a size that can be picked by hand and planted indoors in a matter of minutes.
How to Grow and Care for Amaryllis (and Make the Bulbs Rebloom!)
Furthermore, they develop to be really stunning. There is a possibility that you may learn how to make your amaryllis bloom each year, which will let you to enjoy it for more than just the holiday season. If you want to understand everything there is to know about cultivation of amaryllis, you can either watch our lesson video or continue reading.
Different Amaryllis Varieties
Planting Your Amaryllis Bulbs
Your amaryllis bulbs are easy to plant and grow, and the process is straightforward. This holiday season and for the seasons to come, if you follow the directions below, you will be able to grow flowers that are large, gorgeous, and blooming.
Pick Out Your Amaryllis Bulbs
Choosing your bulbs is the first step in growing amaryllis bulbs at home! Amaryllis bulbs are most commonly found during the holiday season because they are primarily thought of as festive bulbs. Once you’ve selected your preferred types, make sure to select firm bulbs free of divots, soft patches, and other damage.
A bulb that is firm throughout indicates that it is healthy and will develop robust. Additionally, take care when transporting the bulb to avoid damaging its roots!
Prepare Your Bulbs for Planting
It is possible to soak the roots of your bulb in water that is lukewarm for a few hours before proceeding with planting it. Despite the fact that this is not required because you will already have saturated the soil after planting, it can be helpful in bringing the bulb out of its dormant state.
Pick the Appropriate Pot Size
Your amaryllis bulb should be planted in a pot that is one or two inches bigger than the bulb. Additionally, the presence of drainage holes in the pot is crucial because an excessive amount of moisture may harm the plant. Plant your bulb so that its nose—the upper portion of the bulb—is visible. Because they rot quickly in damp environments, bulbs that are completely covered in soil may become more susceptible to rot.
Watering Your Amaryllis
Water the bulb well after planting, but wait to water it again until you notice growth or that the soil has completely dried up (remember, we don’t want to promote any rot!). Water your amaryllis gently, making sure the soil stays just slightly moist while it grows. If the soil surrounding the bulb seems entirely dry to the touch, you can always poke your fingers in it to determine when to water!
The dirt will dry up faster as the roots spread out and fill the container, so you might need to water it more frequently. The bud and leaves of your amaryllis may also need more frequent watering after they start to flourish. When the plant is in bloom, avoid fertilizing it and keep the soil consistently moist.
Just keep in mind that it is simple to add additional water to your amaryllis bulb (or any other plant, for that matter) and quite difficult to remove the water from the soil after it has been supplied. It is always advisable to err on the side of under watering because most plants can withstand being submerged far better than they can being over watered. After that, you can determine what your plants require and modify your future watering schedule!
Lighting for Amaryllis
After you plant your amaryllis, put it somewhere warm and sunny. This will help wake up the bulb from its sleep. Move the plant to a cool room with bright, indirect light when the buds and leaves start to grow well.
Just make sure to keep your amaryllis away from drafts and hot spots, which could shock the plant. Every day or two, turn the plant around so that the stem doesn’t lean toward the light. If the plant’s stem gets too heavy at the top, tie it to a bamboo stick for extra support.
Interesting Tip
Some bulbs, like amaryllis and paper whites, do get tall and top-heavy, and using a stick or bamboo pole to support them isn’t always a good look. When you first see the flower stalk start to grow, you can water your amaryllis with an alcohol solution. This will help keep the stem short and strong so it can hold the flower’s weight on its own.
It’s best to use clear distilled booze, like vodka, gin, or white rum. Rubber alcohol will also work if you don’t have any alcohol on hand. Just mix one part alcohol with seven parts water (1:7) or one part rubbing alcohol with eleven parts water (1:11). As the flower stalk starts to grow, water your plant with this mix. This stops the flower stalk from growing taller and makes it shorter. This makes the stem stronger so it can hold the weight of the bloom.
When to Expect a Bloom
It will take 7–10 weeks for flowers to show up. To make the flowers last longer, use tweezers to remove the long stamens that carry pollen from inside the flower and keep the plant in a cool place. Usually, amaryllis flowers last for two to three weeks. Often, an amaryllis will grow more than one stalk with flowers that open at different times. With this, the plant will bloom for a longer time, giving you more weeks to enjoy its beauty.
What To Do When Your Amaryllis is Done Blooming
Cut the flower stalk off one inch above the bulb with sharp scissors or a knife when the flowers are done. But don’t take off the leaves! You need to do this carefully because leaving the plant’s leaves on the bulb lets it make and store as much energy as it can. It will need this energy to bloom again next year!
How To Make an Amaryllis Bulb Rebloom
Most amaryllis bulbs only bloom once a year. It’s not impossible if the plant is alive and well, but this doesn’t happen very often. Also, contrary to what you may have read online, we have found that the best way for your bulb to bloom again in Colorado is to keep it in the ground inside and care for it like a houseplant all year.
A lot of blogs and stories say to dig up the bulb and put it in a paper bag in a cool place for a few months, but you don’t need to do this. Here are the steps you need to take if you want your amaryllis bulb to bloom again following years.
Treat Your Amaryllis Like You Would Any Other Houseplant
Once you cut off the flower stalk, keep the amaryllis somewhere bright and the soil just barely damp. Like any other houseplant, give it regular watering and fertilizer once a month. Maintaining the plant’s growth is important so it can store energy for the coming flower season.
Encourage Dormancy
Stop watering the amaryllis next fall or a month or two before you want it to bloom again. Let the leaves fall off on their own. This sets off the bulb’s sleeping or dormant stage, which it needs in order to bloom again. Cut the leaves back when they are completely dry and have lost their color.
Start The Growing Process Again
Once the bud is about two weeks away from starting to grow, give it more fertilizer and water it well so that the soil is completely wet. This will wake it up from its sleepy state, and the process will begin again! To plant the bulb again, follow the steps above and put it somewhere warm and sunny.
This will wake up the bulb, and you should see new growth in a week or two. Follow the same steps above to take care of your amaryllis. Only water it a little, put it somewhere warm, and fertilize it like you would any other houseplant.
How to Plant and Grow Amaryllis
Can’t seem to get your amaryllis bulbs to bloom again? There are times when they are tricky, and even small changes can make a big difference! So, please let us know if you have any questions or worries. For more information, you can also watch the movie below that shows you how to grow an amaryllis. We’re always here to help, and we want you to have big, beautiful blooms every year.