Amaryllis After-Care

OK, so your Amaryllis (a.k.a. Hippeastrum) bulb has bloomed. Now what? Don’t throw it in the trash or the compost bin! With a little care, they can bloom again for you next year.

Every winter, I love growing these amazing bulbs because it makes me feel like I’m gardening while the snow is flying outside. The flowers are absolutely gorgeous and give one a sense of accomplishment when they are in full bloom.

But I must admit, I haven’t taken the time to learn what to do for the bulbs after they’ve bloomed so I can enjoy them again the following year. Fortunately, a timely email from Gardener’s Supply has taken the mystery out of it for me.

Here’s what they suggest:

After your bulb has bloomed, trim down the flower stalk to a height of 2″. Cut back on the watering so the soil is just barely moistened. Keep the plant in a bright area of your home, but not in direct sunlight.

Once spring arrives, move it to a sunny location and start fertilizing it regularly with a liquid fertilizer. They recommend a formulation that is 8-10-10. This will encourage leaf growth while also feeding the bulb for next year’s bloom.

During the summer, you can move your bulb outdoors to a partly sunny location, or even plant it in an area of your garden. Be sure to keep it watered and continue with the fertilizer routine.

In the fall, stop watering so the plant will go dormant. Once it has dried up, take it out of the pot and knock off any soil. Now it’s time to place it in a cool, dark area (like a basement) for 8 weeks.

After that point, re-pot the bulb and start watering it lightly. It should resume growth shortly, and bloom within 5 to 8 weeks. Let’s all give this a try and then share photos of our bulbs next winter!

Note: If you’ve missed my previous posts on Amaryllis bulbs and are wondering what the reference to Hippeastrum is all about, the Amaryllis bulbs we all grow and love aren’t Amaryllis at all! They actually belong to the genus Hippeastrum. So I’m trying to get gardeners to refer to them correctly, while avoiding too much confusion!