Amaryllis bulbs are a great way to add some holiday beauty and color to your home and are some of the easiest bulbs to bring to bloom. The bulbs grow quickly and require minimal care. During the holiday season (November and December) you can usually find the bulbs complete with planters in supermarkets and home stores. In addition, you can also order bare bulbs online at sites such as easytogrowbulbs.com and gardeners.com. Amaryllis bulbs also make a nice hostess gift.
I always thought of Amaryllis as an indoor bulb, but these can also be planted outdoors. These plants do best outdoors in a warmer climate (USDA zones 7b-10) but with patience and care can be grown in colder zones. Let’s look at Amaryllis bulb growing and care instructions for both indoor and outdoor growing.
Indoor Care Guideline
- Amaryllis bulbs like direct sunlight and temperatures between 68 -70 degrees.
- If you purchased the bulb alone, then it is important to find a sturdy container that can hold the weight of the flower. Use a nutritious potting mix and plant the Amaryllis bulb, point side up, up to its neck in the potting mix.
- Water sparingly until the stalk appears. (you can see the stalk and bud in the above picture). As the bud develops and leaves appear, water more frequently (once per week). Don’t over water as this is the quickest way to kill an amaryllis.
- The stalk will grow rapidly, and you will be rewarded with big beautiful flowers in four-six weeks from when the bud first appears.
- Remember to turn the plant often as the stem tends to grow towards the light. Support the flower with a stake if necessary.
- Once the flowers bloom you can move them to a spot where they receive indirect sunlight. In addition, you can cut the blooms and place in a vase, they make a beautiful centerpiece.
After the flowers fade, follow these steps
- Cut the stalk 1-2 inches from the top of the bulb but don’t cut the leaves. The leaves are needed to assist the bulb in replenishing its food reserves.
- The Amaryllis bulb will be depleted of nutrients after flowering so fertilize and water. You will have a plant with green leaves.
- When the temperature is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, you can either move your plant outside or keep indoors.
- The Amaryllis bulb must be acclimate to the outdoors. First, place in the shade or indirect sunlight for a few days and then gradually move to a full sun location. Continue to fertilize monthly.
- Once outdoors, you can keep in the current container only if that container has drainage holes (my container above is decorative and has no drainage hole). If the container doesn’t have drainage holes, then either plant directly in the ground or re-pot in a container with holes.
Blooming
- Sometime around mid-August or before the first frost, you will need to bring your bulb inside. Amaryllis bulbs are not frost tolerant.
- Store the bulb in a cool, dark and dry location for 8-10 weeks allowing to go dormant. Inspect the bulbs periodically.
- When the leaves become brown and dried out, remove down to 1-2 inches from the stem.
- After this resting period (or if you see new growth), simply follow the directions from ‘Indoor Care Guidelines’ above. Replant the Amaryllis bulb in a sturdy container with a good potting soil. Give one watering (1/2 cup) and place in direct sunlight. Don’t water again until you see the stalk appear.
Resources
Extension: https://extension.umn.edu/house-plants/amaryllis
Iowa State University Extension: https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2009/1-7/amaryllis.html
Week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Please check your email to confirm subscription.
This is great, I’m going to try this with my Amaryllis that just died (it was beautiful for the last few weeks…sadly it didn’t quite make it to Christmas). It will be interesting to see how it looks with just the leaves. Here’s hoping it will be just as beautiful again next year.
Good luck, I hope it works out!