Getting Your Amaryllis To Rebloom Year After Year After Year

Amaryllis is a popular holiday plant that rewards us with large showy flowers that come in a huge variety of colors and sizes. This affordable plant is even more remarkable when we get it to give us a new show next year. Here are the steps you need to take to ensure a great show next year.

The amaryllis is a tropical plant and needs some specific conditions to continue its healthy life. While the plant is in bloom it should be in a spot that is around 60 degrees F. Filtered light is best, with the soil evenly moist, not soaking. These conditions give you the longest bloom, which should last several weeks.

When the flower has faded, remove it by cutting the stalk right up near the top of the bulb. Be sure you don't damage the leaves or any new flowering that may be taking place. You might possibly see some sap run out of the cut stalk. This is normal, and indeed it is the sign of a healthy plant. Now, during winter, is the time to start feeding your plant. It will use the upcoming months to store up energy for next year's blooms.

Use a light fertilizer, ideally a fish or kelp liquid fertilizer, and expose the amaryllis to increased light and water. This is when the bulb will enter a growth phase. There will be more leaf production here than when it was in full bloom. Now is when we want to bulk up the bulb. Move it to the sunniest spot in your house and apply the liquid fertilizer monthly. Do not let the soil dry out. Keep it evenly moist. When spring comes and the frost threat leaves, you can take it outdoors. Again, put it in a sunny spot and maintain the watering. I increase the fertilizer applications at this point to every other week.

Mid-August is the proper time for the bulb to go dormant. Bring it inside to a cool spot and stop watering the plant. Soon the leaves will dry up and start to fall off. At this point you can remove the bulb from the pot and let it dry out on a cool shelf inside. In mid-autumn you can pull it down, repot it, and start all over again!