How to Keep Amaryllis Blooming Year After Year

The only thing worse than getting rid of your Christmas tree at the end of the year is seeing your pretty amaryllis blooms die. Alas, like most flowers, these bold blooms are here for a good time, not a long time. You shouldn’t throw away your amaryllis bulb just yet, though. With a little care, it can live another year and bloom again.

With their huge trumpet-shaped flowers in stunning colors amaryllis bulbs are a stunning addition to the winter garden. While often treated as disposable, with proper care you can get your amaryllis to rebloom for many years to come.

Follow these tips to keep your amaryllis flowering annually

Caring for Amaryllis After Initial Bloom

Once the initial blooms fade, follow these steps for ongoing care:

Cut off spent blooms to prevent seed formation which diverts energy from future blooms. However, leave the flower stalk intact for now.

Allow the stalk to remain until it turns yellow, so it can photosynthesize and send energy to the bulb. Then cut it back to about 1 inch above the bulb.
Leave the strap-like foliage in place. Like other bulbs, the leaves produce energy through photosynthesis for next year’s bloom.
Grow the amaryllis as a houseplant through winter and spring. Provide bright light from a sunny window.

Water just enough to keep the soil slightly moist, taking care not to overwater.
Move the potted amaryllis bulb outside for summer once frost danger has passed. Choose a spot with some afternoon shade.
Fertilize monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer to keep leaves healthy and robust.

In fall when cold weather returns, bring the plant back indoors before frost.

Forcing Amaryllis Bulbs to Rebloom

To trigger reblooming, amaryllis bulbs must go through a rest phase with cool temperatures and limited water:

In late summer or early fall, stop watering and place the dormant bulb in a cool (55°F), dark spot for 8-12 weeks.
Check periodically and resume watering if growth appears. Otherwise leave dry.
After the rest period, repot in fresh soil, water thoroughly and place in a warm, sunny window.

Once active growth resumes, usually in 4-6 weeks, resume regular watering and fertilizing.
New flower stalks should emerge in 8-10 weeks.

Ongoing Care of Reblooming Amaryllis

To keep amaryllis cycling annually, provide consistent care year-round:

Repot in fresh soil every 2-3 years as the bulb outgrows the pot. Select a pot with drainage holes, only 1-2 inches wider than the bulb.
Water regularly when actively growing but reduce when resting. Keep soil barely moist, not soggy wet.

Place in a sunny window and turn the pot weekly to prevent leaning toward light.
Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer during active growth periods.
Give 8-10 weeks of cool rest period in a dark spot each fall.

Discard any bulbs that become soft or diseased rather than trying to rejuvenate them.
Propagate amaryllis by dividing overcrowded clumps after several years. Replant large, healthy bulbs.

With attentive yearly care, your amaryllis bulbs will delight you with gorgeous winter blooms for many years to come. Be diligent about providing properly timed rest periods and your flowers will continue to return each winter.

Troubleshooting Issues With Non-Blooming Amaryllis

If your amaryllis fails to bloom again, here are some common issues to check:

Insufficient sunlight – Place in the sunniest window possible year-round.
Improper rest period – Allow 8-10 weeks rest in cool temps around 55°F each fall.
Too much water – Reduce watering when bulb is dormant; keep soil barely moist, not wet.

Lack of fertilizer – Feed every 2-4 weeks when actively growing for best results.
Potbound – Repot in fresh soil every 2-3 years as the bulb outgrows the container.
Pests & diseases – Inspect carefully and treat any infestations. Discard diseased bulbs promptly.

Cold damage – Protect from frost and severe cold which can injure the bulb.

With minor adjustments to your care regimen, a non-blooming amaryllis bulb can often be coaxed into flowering again. Be patient and focus on providing the proper sunlight, dormancy period, water and nutrition it needs to thrive.

Storing Amaryllis Bulbs Over Summer

While amaryllis actively grow through spring and summer, you may wish to store dormant bulbs over the hot summer months. Here’s how:

Allow the bulb to complete its growth cycle and go dormant naturally after blooming.

Remove the leaves once they yellow and let the bulb rest in a dry, well-ventilated area for 2 months.
Clean off any loose scales or roots from the bulb.
Place dormant bulbs in a paper bag with perlite or vermiculite.

Store in a cool (60-70°F), dark place over summer.
Check monthly and remove any bulbs that show signs of rot.
In mid-fall, plant the bulbs following the usual care routine.

With diligent attention to proper care, sunlight, watering, and yearly dormancy, you can enjoy amaryllis flowers year after year. Follow these guidelines for keeping your bulbs blooming and brightening your home each winter.

How to Care for Amaryllis

Like the other bulbs in your garden, amaryllis need water, light, food, and a period of dormancy. As the flowers die back, the leaves come out. Don’t remove the leaves; they’ll give next year’s flowers energy. Clip off the spent bloom, and your amaryllis can be kept as a houseplant after the holiday season. Put it in a sunny spot and keep the soil moist (but not drenched). Fertilize the soil once a month.

After the last frost of the spring, you can migrate your amaryllis outdoors. Move it outside for a few hours at a time, slowly exposing it to more sun by an hour at a time over the course of one to two weeks. This will harden it off slowly. Once your amaryllis is ready to live outside, you can add it to your container gardens to make them more interesting, plant it in your garden beds, or just keep it in a pot. The next bloom cycle won’t happen for months, but it will still add its own style to your garden! The goal at this stage is to get your amaryllis to gather as much energy as it can so it’s ready to bloom again next year.

In late summer or early fall, bring your amaryllis indoors, if it’s been living outside. Make sure to check your bulb for any pests that might have traveled inside with it. Also, stop watering the plant—it’s time for your amaryllis to rest and rejuvenate!.

How to Get an Amaryllis Bulb to Bloom Again

The trick to getting amaryllis bulbs to rebloom is to bring them into dormancy for a period of ten to twelve weeks. Just like other bulbs that you can grow indoors, such as paperwhites, amaryllis bulbs need to “rest” before they can begin a flowering period. Stop watering and fertilizing. Place it in a cool, dry, dark room: a basement storage room or the back of a closet is ideal. If possible, store in an area with a temperature between 50-60˚F. When the foliage is completely dry and brown, clip all the foliage down to within 1-2” inches of the top of the bulb.

For about three months, don’t water it, touch it, or even look at it. It might be a good idea to mark your calendar, so you don’t forget about it forever!.

After the dormant period of two to five months, it’s time to wake up your bulb. When you get your amaryllis out of storage, put it in a new pot with fresh potting soil. Make sure the bulb’s shoulders are above the soil line. Place it in a beautiful, sunny location in your house with temperatures around 60-65 degrees. Give it one generous drink of water, and within days, new foliage should begin to emerge!.

If you want to keep the soil at a steady level of moisture, water and feed your amaryllis as usual once it starts to grow. Before long, you’ll be basking yet again in those glorious, colorful blooms!.

Amaryllis Done Blooming? Here’s What to Do // Garden Answer

How do you take care of Amaryllis?

When the last flower fades, take care and cut the stalk near the top of the bulb. Make sure you leave the foliage on the bulb and try not to damage them while cutting the flower stalks. Once the flowers are gone, the amaryllis goes into a growth phase, where it begins to store energy for next year’s bloom.

Can you keep amaryllis bulbs after flowering?

Yes you can keep an amaryllis after flowering. Instead of tossing them out, you can save the bulb after the blooms have faded, even ones covered in wax. In fact, by taking the proper steps to care for it after it’s done blooming, you can enjoy the flowers again year after year. What Do You Do With Amaryllis Bulbs After They Bloom?

Do I need to throw out Amaryllis after blooming?

Once amaryllis have finished blooming, there is no need to throw them out. With proper care after the bloom, you can keep amaryllis blooming for years. Usually amaryllis are sold as potted houseplants or bulbs around the holidays.

Do Amaryllis rebloom?

Usually amaryllis are sold as potted houseplants or bulbs around the holidays. Making amaryllis rebloom the next year, and even year after year, is not difficult, it just takes some planning and extra care, first and foremost an adjustment of the watering schedule and the right temperature.