How do you care for an indoor amaryllis plant?
Water enough to keep the soil moist, and avoid wetting the portion of the bulb that is above the soil. Feed your amaryllis with Miracle-Gro® Indoor Plant Food every 7-14 days to promote reblooming. Keep your amaryllis in the sunniest spot you can find in your house. More sun will mean bigger blooms later. Many amaryllis varieties need a dormant period in autumn to flower properly. This means that the amaryllis bulbs are kept cool and dry at around 10-15 °C for 6-8 weeks. During this time, the bulb plant slows down its growth, but at the same time prepares for flowering.Once the bulb has sprouted and is in active growth, you can usually expect to see flowers in 3 to 4 weeks. Amaryllis bulbs are somewhat unpredictable and will not sprout until they’re good and ready. Be patient.Keep the soil slightly moist and fertilize with a balanced houseplant fertilizer regularly. Amaryllis can be grown indoors all year or outdoors as soon as the danger of frost has passed in the spring. Reflowering of the Bulb: Stop watering and fertilizing it for 8 to 10 weeks. The leaves will yellow and wither.Amaryllis bulbs need a dormant period of about two months. Around late September, bring them inside, cut back the foliage and put in a cool (around 50 degrees or so) dark spot.
How long does an indoor amaryllis last?
Amaryllis blooms typically last between 2-3 weeks, depending on the indoor temperature and light conditions. Prepare for Winter Blooms Again About 5-8 weeks before you want the amaryllis to flower again, first repot the bulb in fresh growing mix and then give it one healthy drink of water. This initial watering triggers the plant to break dormancy and begin growing again.Amaryllis Watering Schedule to Time Blooming for the Holidays. September and store them in a dark location, then start watering again and move them into a warm room at the end of October.The typical bloom time for amaryllis lasts between 2 to 3 weeks, but under ideal conditions, some varieties can flower for up to 4 weeks. Each flower stalk — or scape — can produce between 2 and 6 large blossoms that open in succession, not all at once.In order to bloom, amaryllis bulbs must be allowed to go dormant and exposed to cool temperatures for at least 8 to 10 weeks. To induce dormancy, place the plant in cool, semi-dark location in late September and withhold water. Cut off the foliage when the leaves turn brown.After amaryllis blooms, allow the leaves to grow and nourish the bulb, then gradually reduce watering as the plant enters dormancy, and finally store it in a cool, dark place to prepare for the next bloom cycle.
Where is the best place to put an amaryllis?
For best results, grow your amaryllis in a relatively cool room (60-65°F) with bright, indirect light. The first thing to emerge from the bulb is usually a bud. You’ll also want to leave the leaves of your amaryllis. As with other bulbs, like tulips and daffodils, the leaves are needed to create energy/food so the plants can bloom again. After your amaryllis is done blooming, place it in a bright indoor location (a window with southern exposure is likely the best place).You can usually force amaryllis bulbs to bloom in about 6-8 weeks, but in my experience that timeframe can vary quite a bit. Is your house a bit on the cool side, like mine? It may take longer than 8 weeks. If you want blooms on December 25, plant amaryllis bulbs the first week of November.Cutting the stems of your amaryllis means you can display them in almost any vase you choose. Consider adding greens and other flowers to complement the blooms. Here, the double variety Nymph is displayed in a simple vase with a few bits of evergreen from the garden.What Do I Do When My Amaryllis Has Finished Flowering? After your Amaryllis plants have finished flowering in the spring, you can remove the faded flowers from the potted plants. But be careful, allow the leaves to grow. The leaves will grow throughout the spring and die back at the end of the summer.Other Things to Know About Amaryllis Bulbs Since these bulbs must be kept in the ground for an extra year, prices are usually higher. Amaryllis bulbs may produce stems and leaves at the same time. More commonly they produce flower stems first, followed by leaves.
How often should I water amaryllis after bloom?
Cut the flower stalk between 1/2 inch and 1 inch above the bulb with a sharp knife or pruners. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Water the plant whenever the top 2 inches of soil feel dry. Once your amaryllis is growing, water from the top using tepid tap water and never let the plant sit in a saucer of water. Continue to water the plant after it’s finished flowering if you intend to store the bulb.Also, continue to fertilize the amaryllis once or twice a month through July. Bring the plant indoors in mid-September. Plants left indoors should be kept in a sunny window. In order to bloom, amaryllis bulbs must be exposed to temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks.Getting an Amaryllis Bulb to Rebloom After the flowers have faded, cut off the stems to within an inch of the top of the bulb. If you grew the bulb in water rather than soil, transfer it to a pot filled with moist growing mix (making sure the top 1/3 of the bulb is exposed).The wax coating seals in all the moisture and nutrients the bulb needs to grow, which means it doesn’t need any water or soil. You just set it on a table, give it a wink as you walk away, and in a few weeks-voilà-giant flowers.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.
How many times will an amaryllis bloom?
The Amaryllis flower usually blooms once a year. Consistent care and patience will ensure that your Amaryllis will brighten your home with stunning flowers year after year. But you don’t have to wait another year for them to bloom again. Amaryllis flowers love high-phosphorus food. Stick to a fertilizer with a higher ratio of phosphorus to nitrogen and potassium. Research shows that the best fertilizer for your amaryllis is a 10-20-15 (N-P-K) ratio fertilizer.
Does amaryllis need full sun?
Amaryllis bulbs are typically more robust and produce more flowers when they are grown in full sun. But in hot climates, strong afternoon sunlight and extremely high temperatures can stress the plants and cause leaf scorching. The flowers also last longer if they are shaded during the hottest part of the day. One of the top reasons for amaryllis not flowering is skipping the dormancy phase. Amaryllis bulbs require an 8–12 week rest in a cool (10–15°C), dark place. This rest triggers flower formation for the next cycle. Without it, your plant will continue growing leaves, but no blooms will appear.Left on the plant, these seed pods will use up food that the plant could otherwise use to make more leaves, roots and ultimately more flowers. For those few gardeners that want to try their hand at growing amaryllis from seeds, allow the pods to develop until they split open and then plant the black, paper-like seeds.Only cut back amaryllis leaves once they turn yellow—green foliage provides essential energy. Trim yellow leaves to 2 inches above the bulb, then move the plant to a cool, dark spot for its dormancy period.Only cut back amaryllis leaves once they turn yellow—green foliage provides essential energy. Trim yellow leaves to 2 inches above the bulb, then move the plant to a cool, dark spot for its dormancy period.
Do I water amaryllis from top or bottom?
Once your amaryllis is growing, water from the top using tepid tap water and never let the plant sit in a saucer of water. With proper care, an amaryllis bulb will grow, bloom, and rebloom for decades. The average lifespan of a bulb is about 25 years, though it’s not unheard of for an heirloom amaryllis to be passed down through families for 50 years or more.They should be kept in a sunny window until they can go outside in May. When amaryllis bulbs outgrow their pots, or if they came in a plastic container, transplant them into a clay pot with unblocked drainage holes. In the fall move pots of dormant bulbs into a cool place such as this attached but unheated garage.Save the Bulb and Enjoy Another Year of Flowers. There’s nothing difficult about getting an amaryllis bulb to bloom a second time. But you do need to be prepared to wait almost a full year for more flowers. During that time, you’ll be helping the bulb build up enough energy to bloom again.Getting Amaryllis to Rebloom To induce dormancy, place the plant in a cool, semi-dark location in late September and withhold water. Cut off the foliage when the leaves turn brown. Then place the dormant bulb in a 50° to 55°F location for at least 8 to 10 weeks.