| Amaryllis bulbs can provide spectacular blooms during the dark winter months. The plants thrive in the warmth of our homes, and love a sunny window. Whether you purchased one or had a bulb given to you, I hope this information helps you take care of it! I’m going to start with what you need to know if you have a bulb planted in soil. Water when the surface of the soil dries out. This is usually 1-2x per week. Your bulb should be planted so that its “shoulders” are above the soil. It’s better to keep the top of the bulb dry. Place your pot in a warm, sunny spot. 75-80 degrees is great for these plants, and you can turn them each day so that the stalks stay upright, not leaning toward the light source. After your plant starts blooming, you can move it out of the direct sun to help the flowers last longer. Regardless, each stalk will typically last for at least a week, with one bud after another opening in turn. As the flowers fade, removing them (and then cutting the whole stalk back) will keep your display looking beautiful, as other stalks burst into bloom. If the flower stalk breaks off, pop it into a vase–its flowers will last just as long as they would have on the plant! Bulbs come in different sizes, and this will determine how many stalks of flowers shoot up. I source the absolute largest bulbs available, and they usually send up 3-4 stalks holding 5-6 big flowers. |
After your amaryllis finishes blooming, you will have to decide whether to keep it. You might not want to continue to care for the plant after those weeks of bloom have finished–in that case, the plant can be composted. If you choose to keep your amaryllis, you’ll have to take care of it inside until after the last frost of the year (usually mid-April in Concord, NC), keeping it watered and allowing the leaves to grow.
After the last frost, you can plant your amaryllis outside! I recommend planting in full sun (though I have heard they can grow successfully in shade) and keeping it watered during the first year at least. You’ll be amazed at how beautifully amaryllis can bloom in the summertime!
If you would like to have your amaryllis bloom again for the holiday/winter next year, you can grow it as a houseplant. Taking good care of it and allowing it to grow many leaves will help the plant collect and store the nutrients it needs to create blooms for the next year.
To make it bloom again, you will first have to induce dormancy. I recommend doing this in early October for Christmas blooms. Put your bulb in a cool, dry place; cut its leaves off; and withhold water from your bulb. Maintain these conditions for at least 8-10 weeks. At the end of that time, you can resume watering the bulb, place it in a sunny place, and it should send up blooming stalks in 6-8 weeks.
These amazing bulbs are definitely worth the time it takes to take care of them. If you have a waxed amaryllis, it probably will not rebloom, but you could try planting after removing the wax. The same goes for amaryllis grown in stones or marbles with only water. Those are not likely to regrow and rebloom. Amaryllis bulbs don’t mind being a little cramped in their growing container. Having said that, you might need to repot them after a year or more, since they do reproduce by bulblets that form on the side of the main bulb. It all depends on the variety and the care they receive. You might notice that your bulb planted in soil has bloomed, but has not put any roots down into the soil yet. It will, if you leave it planted and provide some water and light. Some varieties form roots and then bloom, but others bloom first and then put down roots. Most are somewhere in between, sending out wimpy roots while they bloom and much more vigorous ones later on.
I’ve come to really love these amazing plants.
The long lasting flowers are fun to use in bouquets and they really are easy to grow. Colors range from dark and bright reds, to streaky reds, to beautiful pinks and greenish whites. I hope this will help you will get the most out of your flower bulb this year! If you have any questions, drop them in the comments, and I’ll do my best to answer them!