Amaryllis are great gifts or plants for the holiday season and beyond.  They are easy to grow and require no intervention from us! Let’s look at what you need to get started. Bulbs either come pre-potted or as bare bulbs. If you get a bare bulb you will want to plant them in good potting soil not top soil. Make sure your pot is not much larger than the bulb.  They like to be snug! When you plant; leave one-third of the bulb exposed.  Plant the pointed end up, roots down. Water regularly after it starts growing, but be careful not to get dirt or water in the neck.

They will need heat to start growing so place them in a warm location with bright indirect light.  They won’t need sun until they start sprouting.

If your potting soil isn’t damp, water the soil lightly and then not again until the bulb starts growing.  Be careful not to water too often as you might get fungus gnats. Be sure your pot has a drainage hole and is heavy enough to support the heavy and very tall bloom stalks. As it starts growing rotate it a 1/4 turn every few days so the stalk grows straight. You will probably need a support stake.  Typically blooming takes place 6-10 weeks after planting.  They even make great cut flowers.

Magical Touch Single Amaryllis in bloom

Magical Touch potted up

Nymph Amaryllis potted up

New growth popping up

As your blooms fade cut them off at the stalk until the entire stalk is finished.  Most Amaryllis will have multiple blooms and will keep forming flowers until spent.  Some are single and others are double.

Nymph Potted Amaryllis Collection

If you plan on keeping your bulbs for next year feed them every 7-14 days with a liquid fertilizer to help promote bloom. Remember there are many varieties of Amaryllis to choose from and some have very large flowers and some smaller.  Bulb size does matter so try to select larger bulbs.

If you are like me and love these beautiful plants you will want to save them till next year. After blooming the bulb needs to rebuild itself. Cut off the flower stalks about 1″ above the bulb to prepare it for the spring-summer non-flowering season. Don’t cut off the foliage as they give the bulb energy for next years bloom.  Keep the plant in a sunny location and water when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. After all frost had passed I move mine into the garden and plant it outside.  If you want it to re-bloom for Christmas, repot them with new soil about two months beforehand, and give it a bit of warm water putting them in bright, indirect light until you see new growth just like when you first got them.  YEAH! Finally after many weeks they will start peaking thru. Now you start watering when dry.  Fingers crossed they will be just as beautiful as last year!

Amaryllis are certainly worth waiting for and with a little care these beauties will brighten your entire winter!

Tip for next season: Order in the early fall for blooms by Ground Hog Day.  Amaryllis make great gifts.  Enjoy! Want to hear this blog head over to my YouTube Channel: Let’s Talk Gardening with Robin