How to get an amaryllis to flower again? Have you ever wondered if it is possible to get your beautiful amaryllis plants to re-bloom?
Well, the answer is yes, it certainly is, and here are a few steps that can help you to increase your chances.
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If you have seen my Home Christmas Tour you will have seen that I love decorating with both amaryllis flowers and poinsettias during the winter months.
The big bold flowers provide a chic display and still look great in your home even when the last of your Christmas decs have been packed away.
Getting them to bloom during the holiday period can sometimes be a bit hit and miss so I have a number of amaryllis bulbs which I started forcing at different times.
Once they have finished blooming, with the right care it is possible to get the bulbs blooming again year after year.
What To Do When Your Amaryllis Has Finished Blooming
As each flower finishes blooming and begins to fade, cut it off close to the stem with a pair of Pruning Scissors or a sharp knife.
Once the last of the flower heads have been removed and the green stalk begins to wilt you can cut it off to about 2″ (5cm) above the bulb.
Be careful not to damage any green leaves or new growth.
Move the plant away from direct light sources and keep well watered (avoid letting it dry out completely).
It can also help if at this stage you give it a little liquid house plant fertiliser now and again.
I often use my bulbs without soil (that is very normal here in the Netherlands) displayed in vases and modern arrangements so at this point I put it back into some soil.
What To Do With Your Amaryllis Bulb When The Weather Warms Up
Once the frosts are over and the temperature is a bit warmer (here this is approximately at the end of May but this depends on where you live) you can put your plant outside.
Continue to water regularly so that the soil remains moist but do not overwater as this could rot the roots.
You can also continue to fertilise at regular intervals throughout the summer to encourage strong growth.
During the summer you will see that the leaves will have turned a darker green colour.
At The End Of The Summer
At the end of the summer/beginning of the autumn or when the leaves begin to change colour and die off reduce the amount of water you give the plant but do not allow it to dry out completely.
At this point remove any dead leaves with a knife or a pair of scissors but again make sure you do not damage any green new growth.
Amaryllis Bulb’s Dormant Period
Once the weather begins to get cooler you can bring your plant inside. It needs to be kept in a cool dark place – a basement or frost-free shed is ideal.
(I remove the soil from some of my bulbs at this time but you can just keep it in its pot too)
Leave the bulb alone for 6 to 8 weeks and do not water it. The bulb needs this dormant period in order to re-bloom.
Getting Your Amaryllis To Flower Again
(When To Start Forcing Your Amaryllis Bulb)
The bulb will normally re-bloom approximately 6 weeks from the time it is brought back out into the warmth and light.
Bear this in mind if you want your amaryllis to flower again during the holiday period.
If you are planning to keep it in soil (you get bigger, stronger blooms when potted in soil) you can replant the bulb in new potting soil but be careful not to damage the plant.
The Amaryllis likes a tight-fitting pot so it should ideally be planted in a snug-fitting pot with approximately 2 cm space between the bulb and the pot.
It is also possible to just top up with fresh compost (if you don’t want to re-pot it), make sure that you leave the top of the bulb exposed.
Once re-potted or topped up, your plant will need a good watering but be sure to allow it to drain properly.
After this keep your soil slightly moist but not soaked.
Handling your amaryllis bulbs in this way will give you a much greater chance of getting your amaryllis to flower again the following year but it is not a guarantee.
If your bulb does not manage to bloom, as long as it is not damaged or rotten, you can repeat the process and try again the following year.
I have done an awful lot of research on the best way to care for an amaryllis bulb and there are a lot of contradictions.
Here in the Netherlands you often receive totally different advice to the UK or US.
I have tried different things and find this method is what works best for me.
If you want to have a go at this then make sure you pin this post for later.
If anyone has any other experiences, advice, or tips on how to get an amaryllis to bloom again, I would love to hear them.
Good Luck!
Where To Next?
If you are interested in using bulbs to decorate inside, then you may want to head over next to one of my simple but stylish home decor ideas for Spring Bulbs Decor Idea For Indoors. Or maybe take a look at this gorgeous modern Summer Succulent Display Idea.
Oh yes, and not to forget!
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I am going to try this with my bulbs, great tips! Tanks so much for sharing this at the DI & DI Link Party. Pinning this to ur party board so others can see it!
Good Afternoon Sam, Well I have to tell you, I am thrilled to discover how to care for my amaryllis plant. I was gift a plant and it began to grow, but all I managed to grow were green leaves, which was so disappointing. I have bookmarked your post so that when the time is right, I can follow your instructions.
Best Wishes to you.
Daphne
Hi Daphne, glad you found this helpful. Good luck with it!
I have done as you have with my amaryllis, and this year it will bloom for the fourth time. The only difference is I have never repotted it, leaving it in the same pot and giving it bulb food twice during the summer months. It stays outside all summer, then is brought in when the weather gets cooler for its 8-10 weeks of dormancy. It usually starts putting out a new leaf in January, and blooms about six weeks later. Visiting from SYC.
Thanks for sharing your tips Carole. I have a number of amaryllis bulbs and I might vary the way I care for one or two of them as an experiment to see which method produces the best results. The advice tends to vary a lot from country to country.
This is the first year in a long time that I didn’t plant an Amaryllis for Christmas. Thought I would do one for Valentines, but it came and went. 🙂 I saved mine once and did everything I read, but no luck at getting it to rebloom. Thanks for sharing these great tips with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Hi Jann, that’s why I always have a few at different stages. I’m lucky that I live in the Netherlands as you can buy cheap good quality bulbs all over the place, even in the supermarkets. I have quite a number of them and love the challenge of trying to get them to re-bloom – it doesn’t always work but sometimes it’s worth trying to get them to go the following year.
Brilliant – keep me posted as to how you are getting on with it 🙂
My amaryllis was covered with waxed and pretreated when I received them. They did flower but they were affected by the cold weather, the blossoms and stalks were short and small. I was wondering if I should scrape the bottom of the bulbs as they do not have roots. I am going to plant them in pots and try to get them to rebloom.
Hi Vicki,
I think the wax-covered amaryllis bulbs are getting more and more popular here in the Netherlands. I am afraid that I personally have never had one but have been online to check all the Dutch sites to see what their advice was (after all, they are the experts when it comes to flower bulbs 🙂 ).
I found quite a few that said it was not possible as the bulb had used all its strength to bloom but I also saw a few that said that it is actually possible. Basically, they said that you need to carefully remove the wax layer and check if it still has roots (even if they are very small), if this is the case then go ahead and plant it in some nutrient-rich compost. They said you also need to leave the stalk and leaves on the bulb until they have completely died off as the bulb will absorb nutrients from this. Once they are completely brown you can cut them off.
Now that you have asked this question I would really like to know if it would work so I think I may go out and buy one just so that I can try to do it myself. I know it will be a long wait but I really would love to know whether you succeeded in getting it to bloom again.
Anyway good luck, I really hope it works for you!
Sam xxx