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There is a reason why Amaryllis is one of the most favorite house plants (and winter holiday plants) around the world. They are colorful, vibrant, and low-maintenance! Not an experienced horticulturist?
Are you wondering how to care for amaryllis plant? Amaryllis plant is generally not so hard to care for. It requires regular fertilizing, watering, and a lot of indirect sunlight. Make sure you use good drainage soil, don’t water it at all during early autumn (for 2 months, to force dormancy), and then continue watering it regularly. It like high humidity (as any other tropical plant), so try to mist it from time to time.
This was just a summary, and I am here to give you all the important information about this magnificent plant and its watering, sunlight, humidity, and other needs in depth. So, keep on reading about this truly beautiful piece of nature.
About Amaryllis
Amaryllis (or Amarillo plant, or Amerilla plant) is a bulb, abundantly flowering with great exuberance. It belongs to the Hippeastrum genus. Its vibrant colors revive our homes during the cold months.
You can grow it indoors during the winter and then take it outside during the hot days.
It is a tropical plant, native to Peru and South Africa. Amaryllis plant was brought to Europe in the 1700s. In nature, it lives in warm climates and blooms in spring.
It grows beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers that most widely differ in colors and shades. Amaryllis flowers are quite big. The size ranges from 10 to 25 cm in length. The flower stalks are thick and fleshy, while the foliage is long, strap-shaped, and abundant.
Among hundreds of different flower shades, let’s take a look at some of the most commonly seen types of amaryllis: red amaryllis, white amaryllis, amaryllis lily…
For example, amaryllis red is considered to be one of the most dramatic shades. Aside from being considered a lucky color, it is also a symbol of beauty in China.
White Amarillas is a symbol of femininity, children, and purity. Amaryllis lily is one of the many variegated amaryllis types.
Planting Amaryllis
I’ve already mentioned that the Amarillo plant is a bulb. This makes it very easy to plant. Just place the amaryllis bulb in high-quality soil, place the container somewhere sunny but without direct sunlight.
They tend to bloom very fast – all they need is five to nine weeks after they have been planted. I advise adding a support stake since the blooms need additional support standing upright.
If you bought a bulb that hasn’t been potted, you’ll need some potting soil and an appropriate container. The best solution would be a ceramic pot or other similar material.
The bulbs can be pretty heavy and if the pot isn’t stable, it may tip over. Also, the preferable pot size is 15 to 20 cm. The bulb needs a little bit of space, don’t suffocate it.
Leave a couple of centimeters from each side of the pot, and on the bottom, as well.
The bulb itself isn’t very big (about the size of a large onion), but amaryllis likes to be crowded with other amaryllis plants as well.
It is best if you plant a couple of them and place them close to one another. Not only will they look beautiful, but will also preserve humidity this way.
Dig a little hole in the soil and plant the bulb. Leave one-third of the bulb above the soil line. Tuck the soil around the bulb nicely.
This guide on how to re-pot a plant may come in handy. Place the pot in a sunny window. “Bottom heat” would be preferable as well (place the pot on a radiator, for example).
Pro-Tip: Good drainage soil is imperative if you want your amaryllis to thrive. Use high-quality, nutritious soil.
Also, choose a container with enough drainage holes. If the excess water doesn’t drain, the bulb will start to rot eventually.
Soil Requirements
Well-drained soil is a must-have for quality amaryllis care. It is best if you make your mixture with added sand or peat moss.
You can also buy a soil mix if you don’t feel like you have the expertise to make one. It’s faster and you can focus more on the actual amaryllis plant care
Watering Requirements
Once you’ve planted the bulb, water it moderately until you see that the plant has grown for about 5 cm in height. When you notice your amerilla plant prospering, continue watering it regularly.
Since it is a ‘winter’ plant, it doesn’t require big quantities of water. Moderate to low watering frequency will do the trick.
Also, since amaryllis likes well-drained soil, if you overwater it, the root will start to rot. Avoid waterlogged soil at any cost! Also, always let the topcoat of the soil become dry before you water the plant.
Pro-Tip: To force dormancy, you’ll want to stop watering your amaryllis at all during early autumn. After two months of drought, continue watering as normally.
Sunlight Requirements
Amaryllis likes bright spots with indirect sunlight. With its long stalks, amaryllis grows pretty fast.
You’ll want to periodically turn the pot just to make sure every side of the plant gets equal amounts of sunlight. This way, you’ll encourage the stalks to grow straight.
Amaryllis will be happiest on your windowsill or a sideboard.
Humidity Requirements
Amaryllis is a tropical plant, so it likes moderate to high humidity conditions.
However, it doesn’t like much watering so the best solution is to mist it from time to time.
Nevertheless, don’t mist it too often since the stems grow in groups and tend to preserve humidity that way.
Fertilizing Requirements
The bulb amaryllis is considered to be a natural container, which has all important nutrients for the plant to thrive.
Anyhow, if you want to ensure that your amaryllis plant keeps blooming for more than one season, you should regularly fertilize it, as much as you would do with any other indoor plant you have.
The best choice would be to use common liquid fertilizers.
Blooming
As I have already mentioned, Amaryllis blooms pretty fast, in a couple of weeks. Six to twelve weeks should be enough.
Blooming time depends on the amaryllis type as well – the exotic types need a longer time to bloom.
Check the label to make sure which one you bought. Vibrantly colored flower buds appear at the top of the stalks.
To prolong the bloom as much as it is possible, don’t leave the plant under the direct impact of sunlight.
Also, don’t worry if your amaryllis sprout leaves but not flowers! Some types develop flowers after the leaves.
When you notice the flowers becoming wilted and crispy, gently remove them from the stalk.
Pro-Tip: You can use the amaryllis as cut flowers as well! Not only they are mesmerizingly colorful, but also tend to last longer in a vase!
Prolong the Blooming Period
There are several ways to prolong the freshness of the amaryllis flower.
First of all, you can plant different varieties of the plant. The blooming time differs from one variety to another. Just choose different types and watch them blossom!
Also, you can simply plant them at different time-lapse, and they will bloom randomly.
While you are waiting to plant, it is important to properly store the bulbs. Keep them in a dark, shady, and dry spot. The temperature should be low, between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius.
Most probably, they will start to sprout at one time. Don’t worry, just make sure you don’t hurt the young roots.
You can plant them in succession, one every week or two. Also, you can literally adjust the growth rate of the amaryllis plant.
How, you may ask?
By moderating room temperature. When the flower stalk forms, the growth will slow down if you lower the room temperature. The opposite will happen if you raise the temperature – it will grow faster.
Once the flowers have formed, you can prolong the blooming process by lowering the room temperature and keeping the plant out of direct sunlight.
Also, if the amaryllis is on a display in a warm room, you can just replace it in the colder room during the night. Removing faded blooms will prolong the blooming time for the rest of the flowers.
It often happens that additional flower shoots appear as the first flowers start to fade.
FAQ
How Do You Store Amaryllis for Next Year?
When you notice all the flowers have faded, cut the stalk a couple of centimeters above the bulb. Water and feed the plant regularly.
During spring and summer, amaryllis will produce a large number of leaves.
Amaryllis bulb care implies only a few conditions – a cold and dark place, and re-pot it in a new soil a couple of weeks before you want it to bloom. Make sure you’ve properly kept the bulb – in a cold, dark, and above all, dry place.
What Is the Best Fertilizer for Amaryllis?
Don’t use fertilizer on amaryllis unless you want to store it for next year.
In that case, proper amaryllis plant care requires liquid houseplant fertilizer. It is the mildest and most effective food.
Should I Cut the Leaves off My Amaryllis?
After the amaryllis has finished blooming, you will end up with a lot of leaves. Don’t cut them off the stem.
Rather leave them so that the plant can replenish all the nutrients it needs for another growing season. So, always leave the foliage growing the way it wants to!
