How To Get Amaryllis To Bloom Again
by Suzanne DeJohn
Buy Amaryllis Bulbs Now, Get Blooms Every Winter
Getting your Amaryllis to produce a second round of blooms is easy. You can keep your bulbs and get them to flower all over again indoors or out. The bulbs you buy in the fall and winter are rarin' to go, so plant them right away and they'll quickly begin growing. Depending on the variety, the stage of bulb dormancy, and the growing environment, you may get flowers in as little as 6 weeks, or it may take as long as 12 weeks.
Caring For Your Amaryllis Post-Bloom
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It isn't difficult to get your Amaryllis to rebloom next winter! Post-bloom, the goal is to keep the plant growing strong so the foliage can recharge the bulb for next winter's bloom.
Follow the steps below to care for your Amaryllis bulb after it blooms:
Once the blooms fade, cut the flower stalk back to within an inch or so of the bulb, taking care not to damage any emerging leaves or flower stalks. - Keep the plant indoors in a sunny spot and keep the soil moist. If its pot doesn't have drainage holes, transplant it into a pot that does, and be sure to drain the saucer after watering. Fertilize monthly with a soluble houseplant fertilizer and let the plant continue growing.
- Once the weather warms up in spring and all chance of frost is past, set the Amaryllis plant outdoors. Acclimate it by placing the pot in a part-sun location for several weeks, then gradually move it to a full-sun location.
- Water as needed to keep the soil moist. (If the bulb is in a small pot and dries out too quickly, pot it up into a larger container.)
- Fertilize monthly and let the foliage continue to grow all summer.
Letting Your Amaryllis Bulb Rest
If you're hoping to have your Amaryllis in full flower around holiday time, you need to plan ahead because Amaryllis bulbs need a rest period before they’ll bloom again.
- Around mid-August, begin withholding water and fertilizer and move the pot into a cool room (55° to 60°F is ideal, but no colder than 50°F).
- The leaves will begin to yellow, then wither and die back. At this point, you can cut them back to within about a half-inch of the top of the bulb.
- Let the pot stay in this cool, dry storage for about two months. Check the bulb occasionally, looking for any signs of new growth.
- After ten weeks or when you see a shoot emerging (whichever comes first), it's time to bring the pot back into the warmth and light.
Cut your Amaryllis back to encourage new growth, and a new bloom.
- For best results, repot the bulb in a container that's about twice the diameter of the bulb, using fresh, moist potting soil. Set the bulb in the pot so that the top third of the bulb is above the soil line.
- Keep the pot in a sunny window. Water the soil thoroughly, then let the soil surface dry out before watering again. Keep the plant in a sunny window, rotating the pot occasionally to keep the flower stalk growing straight (otherwise it will lean toward the light). In a few weeks, you'll have a reblooming Amaryllis!
You can repeat this process indefinitely, and provided you give it the required conditions the bulb should continue producing flowers each year.
For planting instructions and tips for making the most of your Amaryllis, see our helpful guide: Amaryllis Growing Instructions