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Amaryllis are beautiful bulbs that bloom in early winter. The amaryllis bulbs produce vibrant flowers and are a popular choice for indoor decoration.
The large bright flowers appear very spectacular and are sure to catch anyone’s attention on the first look.
The varieties most commonly found in the homes are the forced amaryllis (Hippeastrum). They are called forced as they are made to flower in the winter.
The erect stalks produce around two to three flowers when the bulb blooms. They are a popular choice for the Christmas Holidays especially the Red Lion variety.
The red flowers look very charming and provide a festive look for the occasion. Often they are sold as ready to bloom bulbs for the holidays.
When grown outdoors, they naturally flower in early summer or the spring.
What do you do with Amaryllis Bulbs After They Bloom?
The amaryllis bulbs lose their charm after they bloom. The bulbs with their green stems look quite dull when the flowers fall off.
Due to this flowering pattern, the Amaryllis is also commonly known as “naked lady”. Most people dispose of these bulbs when this happens.
What they don’t know is that a little patience and a defined strategy can make these bulbs bloom again.
It is very easy to save these lackluster bulbs and make them viable for the next season again.
After your amaryllis has finished blooming, remove the flowers before they start seeding. Then cut the stalks with a sharp sterilized knife when they have turned yellow.
Cut with the knife 1/2 to 2 inches above the bulb. To get them to rebloom add fertilizer which is recommended every 2 to 3 weeks.
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How to get the Amaryllis to Rebloom
The amaryllis is quite an accommodating plant and can survive a few ups and downs in the reblooming process very easily.
Following steps are used to make sure your amaryllis bulbs bloom again next year:
1) Trimming the Stalk and Removing the Old Flowers
Most of the resources of the bulb are already used up in the flowering stage. The plant is devoid of essential nutrients needed for proper growth.
For re-blooming, the stalks are needed to be cut off at the tops while preserving the leaves. Any old remaining flowers are also removed by sterile shears.
Simply cut it all the way down to the top of the bulb. This enables the plant to get ready for flowering once again.
The plant must replenish its food reserves again to bloom the next year.
The removal of the wilted blossoms allows the plant to channel its energy to recover the nutrient deficit.
The preserved leaves help in the additional production of the required food for the bulb.
2) Fertilize the Bulb
The bulb is then fertilized at least after every 2 to 4 weeks using a standard liquid houseplant fertilizer. Time-release granules can also be used.
Organic fertilizers are preferred over inorganic ones. They provide well-balanced nutrients and cause the least damage to the plant.
The bulb is placed in full sun to part shade and given regular watering.
The watering should be balanced and care should be taken to prevent overwatering. Continue this routine for 5-6 months for the summer.
The leaves should be allowed to fully develop. When the leaves start to yellow, they should be cut 2 inches from the top of the bulb.
3) Moving the Bulb Outside
Once the winter months are over, it’s time to move your Amaryllis plant outside.
April and May are prime months to acclimatize your plant to the summer. The abrupt transition should not be adopted.
Rather you should first place the plant in shade and then slowly expose the plant to direct sunlight.
Otherwise, the plant wouldn’t be able to cope with the sudden change in its external environment and would result in death.
The pot used should also be well aerated having adequate drainage so the plant doesn’t get flooded with water when it rains heavily.
4) Moving Back Indoors
After the summer season is over it is a must to bring the plant back indoors. September to early October is the deal time to bring your Amaryllis back inside.
They should be placed on the window sill so they can get ample sunshine during this period.
5) Induction of Dormancy
The Amaryllis plant needs a dormancy period to induce proper flowering. For that, the bulb is removed from its container and cleaned thoroughly.
The bulb is then placed in a cool shady area with an optimum temperature around 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit.
It should be stored for around 6-10 weeks in these conditions for proper induction of dormancy.
Placing the bulbs in the basement or garage cupboards is an adequate choice.
You can also leave the bulb in the pot and get the same result. But if you adopt this method, then no water should be administered during this time.
Allow the soil to completely dry up inducing dormancy. Results are similar to placing them bare-root but adopting the first approach yields better results.
6) Replanting
After this period of dormancy, the blubs are replanted in fresh potting soil. The bulbs bloom 8 weeks after planting them.
These bulbs are as good as the ones you purchased last year for the holidays.
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Soil Used for Repotting
Any potting soil can be used repotting Amaryllis but it would be better if the potting mix contained more organic matter.
Perlite should be used along with the organic matter. The choice of organic material should be compost or rotted manure.
You can use the same pot which was in which the bulb was present before de-potting. If by any chance you lost that pot, then a 5 or 6-inch pot is best for use.
The bulb is placed below in such a manner that only the upper half of it is left unexposed.
The soil is firmly tucked and at least a 2-inch gap should be in between the edge of the pot and the bulb.
Water it thoroughly but don’t overdo it as it can result in fungal rot. Watering should be made frequent only when the roots are established enough to withstand the change.
How Many Years Will an Amaryllis Bulb Bloom?
Amaryllis bulbs are quite resilient and can bloom for an indefinite amount of time if proper care is given to them. They can easily survive up to 10-25 years.
If given reliable care, they can live as long as the gardener. Also, the bulbs can be propagated using many different methods.
The easiest way to get multiple plants from a single bulb is through the cuttings.
Each cutting should include both the portion of the stem and the bulb to increase the chance of successful propagation.
Other than that, the mature bulbs also produce daughter bulbs on their sides.
These new bulbs can be easily removed and be used as new plants. They should be potted in new soil as already mentioned above
This enables you to increase the number of successive plants each year. These extra bulbs can be used as gifts for friends and family.
This way you can have an endless supply of these marvelous flowers and share the joy manifold on the festive holidays.
Most homeowners have even reported having Amaryllis bulbs as old as 75 years! They are truly phenomenal when it comes to their survival capabilities.
How Long can Amaryllis Bulbs be Stored?
The amaryllis bulbs need at least six weeks of storage before they can be potted for blossom on the holidays.
This range can be increased up to 12 weeks tops. Extending beyond 2-3 months can lessen the chance of your Amaryllis to bloom on time for the holidays.
The optimum range of storage for ensuring maximum luck of bloom is around 8-10 weeks.
Going slightly above or below these defined times may cause you nuisance at unwanted times.
Final Thoughts: What do you do With Amaryllis Bulbs After They Bloom?
Preparing Amaryllis bulbs for next year isn’t that much of a challenge. The preparation steps are fairly easy.
They might be new for some gardeners but once you get the expertise in handling the bulbs, you won’t have any problem preparing them for next time anymore.
And to add more to the confidence, they are very sturdy and regrow almost every time they are replanted.
Following the above steps will no longer make you buy an Amaryllis from a shop anymore.
You can even double the fun by sending out the extra prepared bulbs to your loved ones on the festive occasion.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our article on why is my tahitian bridal veil not flowering.
About the Author:
Saad Ansar
Saad is an avid gardener himself and is a great lover of plants, animals, photography, & people. Currently, he is focused on photographing indoor plants & captioning beautiful outdoor sceneries. He writes and rewrites in depth articles on nature and science.
