▷ Growing amaryllis: what to do to make them bloom longer

Growing amaryllis is a very relevant topic this time of year. It’s understandable, because their colorful flowers on the windowsill make a real counterpoint to the zeppelin-colored sky outside the window. So if you grow or plan to grow amaryllis in your home, we have good advice on what to do to make it bloom as long as possible, and we specifically describe what to do when it blooms.

To make the process of growing amaryllis as clear to you as possible, in the article we answer the most frequently asked questions on this topic:

What to do to make amaryllis bloom longer?
How to water and what to fertilize?
What are the reasons why amaryllis does not bloom?
How to ensure that amaryllis blooms during Christmas itself?
What to do when it blooms?

If you are interested in amaryllis, but haven’t had time to buy them yet, you can easily choose different varieties of amaryllis bulbs online Emedelynas.lt – click here and you will receive it conveniently with home delivery. You’ll find both classic and luxurious, full-bodied reds, as well as bright or light-colored burgundy options.

By the way, in the article we talk about flowers whose exact name is amaryllis, but everyone calls them amaryllis. We have already written about the confusion of terms, so if you are interested I invite you to read it by clicking here.

Amaryllis (lovers) complement the home with flowers of various colors. We will talk more about colors and the principles of their combination in the seminar “Color matching in the courtyard”. This is an inexpensive but comprehensive workshop that will help you figure out what to resist when choosing a color palette for your garden, but the ideas can be applied to flowering houseplants as well. This workshop is online, you can start right away.

Growing amaryllis: a 3-part cycle

In order for amaryllis to bloom profusely every winter and please the eye, you must first understand the cycle of its life. The cycle is composed of three parts:

1. Awakening;

2. Flowering;

3. Rest (sleep).

Let’s discuss these parts in more detail.

1. The awakening of the bulb – preparation for flowering

Amaryllis onion wake up like this:

At the end of autumn, place it in a warm and bright place;
Water with water at room temperature;
When the stem reaches a height of about 15 cm, start fertilizing.

At the end of autumn, move the potted amaryllis bulb to the light and water it - this will help it wake up.

The amaryllis will bloom 6-8 weeks after awakening. If you want it to bloom at Christmas, count the weeks and don’t miss the awakening time in late October or early November.

If you purchased an amaryllis bulb with overgrown peduncles and buds:

Maintenance is the same;
It will flower in a week or two.

By the way, the color of the flower is not visible until the flower opens, so when buying amaryllis (lover), pay attention to the label, which should indicate the color of a specific plant.

2. Amaryllis flowering: the second part of the cycle

Amaryllis bloom in winter or early spring (depending on when the bulb has awakened).
Flowering usually lasts about 4 weeks (sometimes even up to 6-7 weeks).
The flowers are large, about 10-20 cm in diameter.
2-6 flowers bloom on the top of a peduncle.
The flowers can be of various colors: red, burgundy, white, pink, orange, peach, monochrome or bicolor, striped, even soft. It depends on the plant variety.

Amaryllis care during flowering

Irrigation. Don’t overdo it with water. Like all bulbous plants, amaryllis (lover) does not like excessive humidity. Since this flower comes from South Africa, it tolerates a lack of moisture much better than excess. Water can be poured not directly on the onion, but into the pan tray. Water with water at room temperature.

Place in the room. This plant loves “light baths”, but likes diffused light, not direct sunlight. If the sun is very hot it is better to move away from the window.

Amaryllis fertilization. Fertilize every 1-2 weeks during full bloom and after the amaryllis has faded while the leaves are still green.

I use a ready-made fertilizer for flowering houseplants. This fertilizer is immediately ready to use, so you don’t need to measure, mix and apply anything by hand – just take it and water it straight from the package. Convenient, simple and clear. You can buy such fertilizers in garden supply stores or online – Click here. This fertilizer is produced by “Baltic agro”, which initiated the creation of this article. And the link takes you to their email. shop where you can buy this fertilizer online directly from the manufacturer.

How to prolong the flowering of amaryllis

The warmer the air in the room, the faster the amaryllis will bloom. These flowers usually bloom for 4 weeks, quite a long time. However, if the temperature in the room is lower, flowering will last even longer. It is possible that the flowers will delight you one after another even for 6 or 7 weeks.

Of course, in order not to lose flowers prematurely, pay attention to the correct watering and fertilizing regime, as written above.

Why doesn’t amaryllis bloom?

This can happen for several reasons:

The bulb is still too young and it is simply too early for it to flower. In this case it is likely to flower next year;
The pot in which the flower grows is too large. When the bulb grows spaciously, it focuses on growing “kids” rather than flowers, so it is better to choose a more compact pot;
The plant does not have enough light;
The onion wasn’t given a chance to rest – read more about that below.

3. Growing amaryllis after flowering: preparation for rest

After the amaryllis blooms, prepare it for rest:

Cut the flowering stem;
Until August, take care of the plant as usual, watering and fertilizing. With proper care, the plant will produce many leaves in summer, which will be a harbinger of an abundance of flowers. The more leaves in summer, the more flowers there will be in winter;
In August, water less and less so that the leaves begin to dry.

Rest time:

In September, when the leaves are dry, they should be removed, and the plant should be transferred to a cool (12-15 C°) and dark room, not watered, only slightly humidified;
The rest should last at least a couple of months;
With the end of autumn, the amaryllis’s life cycle starts all over again: bring the bulb back to daylight and wait for flowering.