Sweet Love Amaryllis

RE-BLOOMING:

After the blooms have faded, cut the stalk off 1-2” above the bulb. The leaves will continue to grow and nourish the bulb. Continue watering. When leaves start to wither, stop watering, remove old leaves, and store at 45 -55°F. 6-12 weeks before blooms are desired, return to room temperature and begin watering — lightly, until growth is observed, then keeping soil moist.

TRANSPLANTING:

In zones 8-11, transplant outdoors in spring into organic, well-drained soil. Sun-part shade. Exception would be exotic amaryllis, such as Papillio, which is recommended to be kept as houseplant indoors everywhere.

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

Amaryllis bloom magnificent flowers that are show-stoppingly gorgeous and come in an amazing variety of colors. It is hard to believe these plants can be so exotic looking and yet take less care than many ordinary houseplants.

Amaryllis has become a very popular Christmas holiday favorite like classic fresh evergreen wreaths — and no wonder! They have become synonymous with the Christmas season because when grown as a houseplant, they typically bloom in November and December.

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Planting Your Amaryllis Bulbs

An amaryllis bulb is quite large compared to other bulbs you may be used to. Everything that the amaryllis bulb needs to grow its beautiful flowers is in that bulb. The number of flower stems from a single bulb is determined by the variety you purchase, but typically you’ll see one or two stems emerge.

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Your bulb, if not already potted, will do best in a six- to eight-inch pot. Because the amaryllis will have such large flowers, it can be top heavy and susceptible to tipping. If you use a heavy pot with a flat bottom, your plant should be safe.

Plant your amaryllis bulb in potting soil with the pointed end up. Gently pack the soil around the bulb leaving about one-third of the top of the bulb exposed above the soil line. Place your bulb in a location with bright light. Be careful to water so that the soil is moist but not soggy.

Determining the Amaryllis’s Bloom Time

Amaryllis will bloom in six to 12 weeks, depending on the variety. Note that some amaryllis will send up the flower stalk first, followed by the leaves, while others will develop leaves first and the flower stalk will follow.

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Providing the Proper Support

Amaryllis love the sun, and they tend to lean toward the light. Turn your pot at least daily to avoid this problem and keep your plant growing straight. Again, it doesn’t hurt to give your amaryllis some extra support to hold up those huge blooms.

A decorative stake or a strong branch inserted into the soil next to the bulb should be loosely tied with the stem. This will ensure your plant stem is supported.

Caring for and Maintaining Your Amaryllis

Amaryllis blooms will last longer if moved to a cool spot (55-65°F) at night. As each bloom fades, simply remove it as you would deadhead other plants. There is no need to fertilize, as your bulb has all the nutrients needed for this growing season.

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When your bulb has finished growing and blooming for the season, you can clip off the flower stalk about two inches above the bulb and continue to enjoy the foliage as a houseplant. Set your amaryllis cuttings in a vase with water on a windowsill so you can look out over your flowering shrubs to enhance the view.

How to Make Sure Your Amaryllis Reblooms for Christmas

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

• Water and Fertilize Normally — Continue watering your plant as before throughout the summer months. Add a liquid houseplant fertilizer if you see fit as you do for your other houseplants.
• Withhold Water — In mid to late August, begin to withhold water to induce dormancy. The foliage will ultimately die as the pot dries out.
• Keep the Bulb Dormant — Store the bulb in a cool, dry and dark location like the basement (45-55 degrees). Keep your bulb dormant for a minimum of eight weeks or longer if possible.
• Prepare to Rebloom — Six to eight weeks before you want the amaryllis to bloom, repot the bulb in fresh soil and move it into the light. Resume watering. Soon, you should see new shoots from your bulb.

Can You Transplant Amaryllis Outside?

The answer to this question depends on where you live. In southern U.S. and Pacific Northwest growing zones 8-11, you can consider transplanting your indoor amaryllis plants outdoors. The optimum time of year to do this is in the spring.

Make sure to transplant into well-drained soil and ideally partial shade from the sun. The exception for doing this would be with exotic amaryllis, such as Papilio, which is recommended to be kept as a houseplant indoors everywhere.

Amaryllis is a beautiful flower to have in your home. By following the techniques above, you can make it a central part of your Christmas holiday décor for years to come.

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.

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