-
Step 1
-
Step 2
-
Step 3
Post-bloom care
To encourage gift plants to rebloom the following summer, follow the steps below. To start new plants, set bulbs 2 to 3 inches apart and 2 to 3 inches from pot sides, with bulb tops above soil level.
Step 1: In winter, remove blooms after they fade and before seedpods develop, but leave the stems. Like the remaining foliage, they'll help restore energy to the bulb.
Once a stem shrivels and dries, cut it off at the base.
Step 2: Water when the soil is dry to 1 inch deep (about once a week), and feed every couple of months with liquid fertilizer diluted half-strength, as long as leaves remain green. Keep the plant in a bright, protected spot (such as indoors near a window).
If the foliage dies back and the plant goes dormant, withhold water and fertilizer. Remove dead leaves at the base.
Once danger of frost has passed, move the plant outdoors, ideally to a spot that gets morning sun and some afternoon shade.
Step 3: In spring, when new leaves emerge, top-dress with fresh soil, keeping the top of the bulb exposed; resume more frequent watering and fertilizing. The amaryllis should bloom again in late spring or summer.
Step 4: In early fall, stop watering and feeding after foliage fades (though some amaryllis are evergreen in mild climates); remove dead leaves. Move container to a protected spot. (In cold-winter climates, bring the container indoors to a cool, dry place such as a basement or garage.)
