Would you like to make your Amaryllis bloom again so you can enjoy its stunning flowers? Do you want to know how to help your plant flower again next year? How to take care of it and keep it thriving?
I will help you.
As a florist, the Amaryllis is one of my favorite plants for winter. This stunning bulb produces gorgeous trumpet-shaped flowers, most commonly in red or white. It’s also a popular gift during the Christmas season!
Today, I’m sharing the secrets of this plant so you can take care of it properly and enjoy its blooms for many years to come!
Like all bulbs, the Amaryllis is relatively easy to care for. To encourage it to bloom or re-bloom, place it in a cool, bright room and water it regularly starting in early fall. Once you see leaves starting to grow, you can move it into your home, in a living space with normal temperatures. To help the flowers develop, choose a bright location, such as a windowsill. Continue to water it until it blooms. After the flowers have faded, cut off the stem that held them and allow the plant to rest. It will lose its leaves in the summer, but will begin a new blooming cycle the following year!
Curious to learn more about Amaryllis? Keep reading to discover:
- Detailed tips to help you care for it
- Professional tricks to preserve your bulb and encourage it to bloom again
- How to care for a blooming Amaryllis
- Stunning photographs to get to know this plant better
- The meaning of Amaryllis and all its secrets!
Some Information to Get to Know This Plant Better!
Often given during the holiday season, the Amaryllis is a bulb that produces two to six stunning flowers in colors such as red, orange, pink, and white, with various stripes or edges. The stem is very thick and hollow, measuring nearly 40 centimeters high.
This is a plant native to South Africa, specifically from the southwestern region of the Cape province. In its natural habitat, it grows on coastal hills and along riverbanks. This original variety is called Amaryllis Belladonna.
However, the bulbs that are most commonly found for sale are a hybrid variety, which is less frost-resistant but easier to propagate, known as Hippeastrum hybrids.
How to Get an Amaryllis to Bloom Again?
You have an Amaryllis and you’re wondering how to get it to bloom or rebloom?
Its water and nutrient reserve is located in its bulb, which allows it to produce a flower every year, provided it is in the right conditions. In the following lines, I will share some tips on how to care for it.
Choose the Right Pot…
First of all, if you haven’t done so already, you need to plant your bulb in a pot between October and January. This pot should be wide enough, at least 6 inches in diameter, to allow the plant to grow.
To prevent moisture from accumulating, add a drainage layer of gravel or clay pellets at the bottom of the pot, about 2 to 3 centimeters deep.
Next, place your bulb just at the soil surface, with the pointed end facing up, in a mix of sand, potting soil, and garden soil.
🎅 To see your Amaryllis bloom at Christmas, plant your bulb at the beginning of October!
… Or add some potting soil!
If your Amaryllis is already potted, all you need to do is add fresh potting soil on top, pressing it down slightly to ensure your plant has the right substrate that is deep enough to enter a new phase of growth.
Support its growth by finding the perfect location!
➡️ If you’re fortunate enough to have a not-too-cold sunroom (between 41°F and 50°F), a location that avoids direct sunlight in this room will be ideal for your amaryllis to develop its roots and initial leaves. Otherwise, you can place it in a cooler room, still keeping it out of direct sunlight.
➡️ Once the stems begin to grow, move your Amaryllis to a brighter location in a warmer room. A windowsill in the living room, dining room, office, or kitchen is perfect. The ideal temperature is between 64 and 72°F: you will soon see a large, thick stem develop that will bear the flowers!
If you notice that the stem is bending towards the sun, you can turn the pot every day by half a turn to keep it straight.
🛑 Do not touch the future flower buds; they are very delicate!
Water it without drowning it and provide it with suitable fertilizer
From the moment you plant it, make sure to keep the soil of your bulb consistently moist, but not soggy. The roots should never be submerged in water, as this can lead to rot and cause irreversible damage to your plant.
You can give it a low-nitrogen fertilizer every week, which you can find at garden centers.
When your Amaryllis blooms, there’s no need to water it anymore: your plant will use the nutrients stored in its bulb to sustain itself!
How to Care for a Blooming Amaryllis?
As mentioned earlier, the blooming of the Amaryllis is not the time when this plant requires the most care. In fact, the best thing to do is to simply enjoy the stunning display of these beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers, without giving water to the plant, and also without touching it or moving it.
If you notice that the stem supporting the flowers is bending under the weight of the flower buds, you can use a thin stake for support, carefully attaching it to the stem with raffia or ribbon.
How to Care for It After Blooming?
Have all the flowers on your Amaryllis wilted? It’s time to take care of it so you can enjoy that beautiful bloom again next year.
There’s no need to remove the bulb for this. Instead, you can follow these simple guidelines to provide your plant with the best possible conditions to enter its resting phase:
- Cut the stem that held the flowers about 0.8 to 1.2 inches above the bulb.
- Resume watering moderately but regularly to encourage leaf development.
☀️ In summer, the bulb will typically complete its cycle: the leaves will turn yellow and then fall off. This is completely normal. You can place it in a shady spot outside or in a room in your home.
🍂 Its growth will resume in the fall, when you resume watering it and place it back in a bright location.
👉 It is often said that an Amaryllis bulb lasts about three years; however, with proper care, it can bloom again and multiply indefinitely!
Can you plant the bulb directly in the ground to see it bloom in the garden?
The Amaryllis bulbs of the Hippeastrum Hybrides variety that you find in stores are not hardy: they do not tolerate frost and are meant to thrive indoors.
If you want to plant Amaryllis in your garden to enjoy their beautiful blooms, you will need to obtain bulbs of the original variety: Amaryllis Belladonna.
These plants can withstand frost down to -5°C (23°F). They should be planted below the surface of the soil, at the end of summer or in the spring. Ideally, they thrive in full sunlight, in well-drained, nutrient-rich soil.
What is the meaning of this flower?
This beloved flower symbolizes pride and flirtation. Giving this flower is a way to confess to your recipient that their beauty has captivated you and that you are enchanted by them.
Like the Lily, the Amaryllis is a noble flower, symbolizing refinement and dignity. The Amaryllis is also known as the Japanese Lily or the Saint James Lily.
This flower was associated with the Greek god Apollo, whose pride was well-known to all.
You are now a(n) Amaryllis expert, and you have all the information you need to enjoy its beautiful blooms for many years.
Are you looking for a floral decoration for the holiday season or any other event that you can enjoy for years with no maintenance? Check out our eternal roses under glowing domes, as well as our other floral items, directly on our online store!