Your amaryllis has bloomed for weeks, but now the splendor is gone and the flowers are drooping? No need to throw your amaryllis away after flowering – after all, amaryllis are perennial plants! With a few clever tricks, you can look after them properly so that they bloom beautifully again next year.
1. remove faded flowers correctly
As soon as the flowers have wilted, cut off the flower stalk just above the bulb. But leave the leaves! They are important so that the plant can store energy for the next flowering.
2. now the growth phase begins
How to care for your amaryllis after flowering:
3. Amaryllis in summer
You can put the amaryllis outside from May. A semi-shady spot in the garden or on the balcony is ideal. Continue to water and fertilize until the leaves turn yellow in late summer.
4. initiate the dormant phase
Things get exciting from mid-August/early September:
- Slowly stop watering and fertilizing.
- Allow the leaves to wither and cut off wilted leaves.
- Optional: Remove the onion from the pot and remove the soil.
- Store the onion in a dry and cool place (8 – 15° C), preferably in the cellar. The vegetable compartment of the fridge is also a good place.
But: Amaryllis is highly poisonous, just two milligrams is fatal! Make sure that you keep the bulb wrapped separately in newspaper so that it is never accidentally eaten or comes into contact with food.
5. blooming splendor in winter
One month before the amaryllis is due to flower again, end the dormant phase. Plant it, water it and put it in a warm place. It will soon sprout again – and flowering will start all over again!
Special case: Waxed amaryllis bulb
If you have bought or been given a waxed amaryllis, don’t throw it away straight away! You can also keep them in the summer, but you’ll have to remove the wax first and get them to root again. Here’s how to do it:
- First, remove the wax from the underside of the bulb by cutting and peeling it off with a knife, being very careful not to damage the bulb.
- Then place the bulb in a narrow glass container, cover it with moss and spray the moss regularly with water! The moss should never dry out, so you can place a pine cone in the glass.
- As soon as you can see that enough roots have formed, you can remove the remaining wax from the amaryllis.
- To overwinter, plant it in a pot with fresh soil and continue with step two.
With these tricks and tips, your amaryllis will bloom anew every year – without much effort!
Share this ingenious trick with other plant fans!
Source: NDR, MDR
Preview image: ©Neils – stock.adobe.com
