How to care for an Amaryllis plant

Growing an amaryllis plant from bulb

The amaryllis plant is a common addition to homes during the Christmas period. Though they take a small amount of care to ensure a full bloom, the results are more than worth it – providing bright colours and full flowers!

Amaryllis bulbs are commonly grown in a well-draining potting soil, preferably planted in a heavy based pot to reduce the risk of the plant falling over. The bulb should be planted in the soil with the pointed end facing upwards, leaving a third of the bulb above the top of the soil.

To give the plant optimum growing conditions, make sure there is bright but indirect sunlight. Alongside good lighting, water the plant to encourage growth. Start by watering sparingly, roughly once every ten days, until green shoots begin to emerge from the top of the bulb, then increase to watering once or twice a week.

Like most flowering plants, the amaryllis will grow towards the light. To encourage your plant to grow upright, turn the pot periodically to reduce the chance of the stem bending as it grows.

Shop amaryllis bulbs at Longacres, here.

Caring for an amaryllis bulb during first flowering

Looking after your amaryllis plant while the flower is in bloom is relatively straight forward, but there are a few tips to follow to ensure you get the most out of your plant.

• Fertilise the plant every two to three weeks following the opening of the flowers
• Keep out of direct sunlight to avoid scorching the delicate petals
• Water the plant twice a week to stop the soil drying out. You can test the soil’s water content by pressing into the soil with your index finger to see if the soil feels damp or dry.
• Most bulbs will produce one main stalk, and one stalk can hold two to four flowers.

How to care for an amaryllis plant post-flowering

Amaryllis can re-flower the following year, they may just need some care to get to that stage. Here are our recommendations for care post flowering:

• After flowering – cut the flowers from the stem once they start to go brown. Once the stem starts to wilt, cut this back to the top of the bulb.
• Leaf growth – though the flowers have died back, the leaves will continue to grow. Keep watering the plant until the leaves turn yellow and then cut these away from the bulb.
• Bulb dormant stage – once the leaves have died back, the bulb will enter a dormant stage to conserve energy. Remove the bulb from the soil and store it in a cold, dark place. This stage lasts between six to twelve weeks, but the bulb can be re-planted any time from six weeks onwards, depending on when you want it to flower.
• Replanting – place the bulb back into well-draining soil and water weekly until growth begins to show through the top of the bulb. It will take roughly seven to ten weeks for the amaryllis to being to flower again.