Amaryllis Care-- Play, Eat, Sleep

Amaryllis are gorgeous winter flowers that are easily forced indoors in the dead of winter, and one of my all-time favorites!  A common “off-season” flower, amaryllis come in various shades of red, pink, and white, often gracing people’s homes over the holidays and during the coldest months of the year.

Many people are surprised to learn that, if cared for properly, you can keep your amaryllis to bloom year after year!  Sometimes I try to explain the process to customers at markets and events, and I’ve realized that though it’s not a difficult process, it’s too much to explain in just a few seconds. I realized that an analogy might be a better way to remember, so I came up with this:

Think of your amaryllis bulb as a baby.  What do babies need to do? Focus on these three:  Your amaryllis needs to PLAY.  Then it needs to EAT.  And finally, it needs to SLEEP.

PLAY:  Most people buy amaryllis in the fall/early winter.  When you take your amaryllis bulb home, it may already be sprouting.  If it’s not, it likely will within a few weeks. This period of time when the amaryllis actively grows and blooms is what I like to think of as it’s “playtime.” No fertilizer is needed, as all the nutrients your flowers need are already stored inside the bulb.  As the stems grow, give it lots of bright light.  If they begin to stretch toward the light, simply turn the container each day to promote straight stems. If it grows too tall, it may need staking (use a bamboo skewer or something similar).  

Your amaryllis will “play” over the course of several weeks, sending up 2-3 stems, each with 4-6 blooms.  (Side note– the bigger the bulb, the more flowers your bulb will produce.  If you had an amaryllis which produced fewer flowers than noted above, try getting a jumbo amaryllis bulb to see the difference.) As blooms fade, pinch them off.  When the entire stalk is finished, cut it off at the base, careful not to cut off any leaves. During this time of active growth, keep your bulb watered, and in the warmest part of your house. (The warmer it is, the faster it will force and bloom.)  Be careful not to overwater (especially before there is much growth).  Once it begins flowering, move it out of direct sunlight, in order to preserve the flowers longer.  If a bloom snaps off, they make excellent, long lasting cut flowers— so place it in a vase of water and enjoy!  

EAT:  Once we reach late spring (after the danger of all frost has passed), I like to put my amaryllis pot out on my back deck, where it can “eat” all summer long.  During this period, it will grow tall, arching leaves as it soaks up the sun and photosynthesizes the summer away.  It will also receive rain (be sure to keep watering it if it is not getting enough natural rainfall, and also be sure that your pot has drainage holes so that the bulb doesn’t sit in standing water.)  During the busyness of summer, I often forget about my amaryllis altogether, which is just fine, as long as it is receiving adequate light and water.  This is also a good time to fertilize your amaryllis if you’d like.

SLEEP:  When the weather turns cold, and the danger of frost returns, it’s time for bed. (Note that amaryllis are tropical flowers and can never freeze!)  At this point, bring your amaryllis pot back inside, cut off all leaves/foliage so that just the bulb in the pot remains, and place it (pot and all) in a cool, dark DRY place.  For me, this is our basement.  It is crucial that during this time, you keep your amaryllis completely DRY.   Once it is tucked away, you can again forget about it until spring!  Amaryllis need a nap of at least 2-3 months in order to recharge and prepare to flower again.  Once the dormant period is complete, you can start the process all over again– bring the amaryllis back out into warmth and bright light to play again.  A good drink of warm water will start waking it back up. 

Be aware that it does sometimes take amaryllis several weeks of warmth/water/light to fully wake up and start growing.  (Similar to my beloved middle child– anyone else have a kid who has a hard time waking up in the morning??)

Do you have any other amaryllis questions?  Reach out– I’m happy to help!