Sweet Love Amaryllis

REBLOOMING:

Your amaryllis can bloom every Christmas for years to come by following these simple steps:

• After blooming has finished, cut the flower stalk off 1 to 2 inches above the bulb. The leaves will continue to grow and nourish the bulb. Continue watering throughout the summer months. Fertilize as you see fit with a liquid fertilizer.
• In mid to late August, begin to withhold water to induce dormancy. The foliage will die as the pot dries out. Remove old leaves. Store bulb in a dry, dark location with temperatures between 45° to 55°F. Keep bulb dormant for a minimum of 8 weeks or longer if possible.
• 6 to 8 weeks before blooms are desired, return to room temperature, repot the bulb in fresh soil, move it into the light, and resume watering, lightly until new shoots appear, then keep soil moist.

PLACEMENT:

Place your amaryllis in direct sunlight with room temperatures ranging between 65° to 75°F. Blooms will last longer if moved to a cool spot between 55° to 65°F at night. Turn regularly to keep stems from leaning toward the light source.

WATER/FEEDING:

Keep the soil moist but not soggy.

No fertilization is necessary for this growing season, as the bulb has all the nutrients needed. For future fertilization, Jackson & Perkins offers a selection of fertilizer & plant care products. We suggest using AlgoPlus Fertilizer for the general health and maintenance of your plant.

TRANSPLANTING:

In Zones 8 to 11, your amaryllis can be transplanted outdoors in spring into organic, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Exception would be specialty exotic amaryllis, such as Papillio, which are recommended to be kept as houseplants indoors everywhere.

IMPORTANT: Ornamental plant material should not be eaten. Keep away from pets and children.

1. My Amaryllis hasn't even started to get leaves yet! Are you sure it's going to bloom?

The Amaryllis that we ship have been in cold storage (40-45 degrees F), and it will take a week (or maybe longer) for them to show new growth. We do not send bulbs already budded, because budded ones are more likely to dry out and will take much longer to re-start the blooming process. Always use tepid to room- temperature water when watering your Amaryllis.

• The single Amaryllis will need about 8 ounces (1 cup) of water to stimulate growth, and the containers that have 3 bulbs will need 10 to 12 ounces of water. Containers with four to five bulbs will need 12 to 16 ounces (2 cups). Waxed Amaryllis bulbs do not require water, and have everything they need to grow inside the wax.
• Without sufficient water and proper air temperatures (65-70 degrees F), bulbs will be really slow to take off. So be sure to water well (but not to overwater, as this can cause bulb rot), and remember to provide warm temperatures. After the initial watering, make sure to check the bulbs once a week, and add small amounts of water as needed.
• To check to see if water is needed, simply touch the surface of the soil, or poke your finger slightly into the surface to see if it feels moist or not. If dry, then go ahead and add ½ of the recommended amounts mentioned above for each size container.
• Continue to check weekly or as needed.
• Once growth initiates, feed bulb with a water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks.

2. How long does it take for Amaryllis to bloom?

Your bulb will send up a thick green shoot within a couple of weeks. Buds begin to appear in about a month to 6 weeks, and your Amaryllis will bloom 7 to 10 weeks after planting.

The best place to keep your Amaryllis once in bloom is in a bright window with cooler temperatures of 60-65 degrees F.

3. The leaves are so very long! They are flopping over everywhere. What do I do?

The best place to keep your Amaryllis once it is in bloom is in a bright cool window. The leaves are stretching to the light, so give them very bright light to avoid flopping of foliage. Turn your container periodically to keep leaves straight. You can also trim leaves if desired.

We recommend that you use our Amaryllis stakes, which will provide support and help avoid breakage under the weight of the bloom. Our stakes will allow the Amaryllis to remain upright and attractive for a showy display.

4. How do I re-bloom my Amaryllis?

Cut back the flower stalk(s) 1 to 2 inches above the neck of the bulb after blooming stops, (but allow the foliage to grow). Continue caring for your Amaryllis as a house plant by keeping it fed and watered so the soil is moist but not wet. You will need to stop feeding in August.

It’s now time to get the bulb ready to go back into dormancy and prepare the bulb for re-blooming. The foliage will already have started dying back, which is normal. If you want your Amaryllis to bloom at a specific time, count backward about 10-12 weeks to determine when to stop watering. During the dormancy period, you will need to place your Amaryllis in a cool, dark place such as a closet or basement.

Now it’s time to bring your Amaryllis back to the growth and bloom stage. Bring back into bright light, resume watering, and remove any dead foliage. You may want to re-pot in some fresh potting soil to rejuvenate the bulb as it grows. Leaves will follow shortly and then blooms.

Note that waxed Amaryllis bulbs will not rebloom, and cannot be replanted after the holidays.

5. It has been 6 weeks, and I only have long green leaves? Why?

A bulb that produces leaves first makes you wonder if there is something wrong with the Amaryllis because it is only growing leaves and showing no bud yet. That happens with some, and it isn't something out of the ordinary.

A bulb may grow leaves before flowers, or it may do it in reverse. In either case, you should give the plant warmth, light and careful watering, and allow it to continue to grow. These are hybrid Amaryllis, and by the nature of their breeding, you will definitely see larger leaves. This is normal, so do not be concerned.

Please don’t forget our Amaryllis stakes to help support the foliage as well as the blooms.

SHOP AMARYLLIS GIFTS