What do I do with my amaryllis once it finishes blooming?
Those ultra showy large flowering amaryllis bulbs sold in garden centres, grocery stores, hardware stores and just about every other retail outlet in the autumn and early winter can be kept indefinitely as houseplants if properly maintained.
And properly maintaining them is fairly simple.
Once the blooms are spent pinch them – and only them – back. Leave the sturdy stalk that was supporting them to die back on its own. Once that stalk has completely yellowed and shrivelled, you can snip it off as well.
Now that your amaryllis has finished flowering it will push out wide, belt-like leaves that are almost as attractive as its flowers. For those of you who like your greenery as much as you do your flowers, you will be quite impressed with the statement these long, thick, arching leaves make.
Thanks to its ongoing showiness, you can easily keep your amaryllis front and centre in a sunny location in your house or even place it outside on a patio once the threat of frost has passed. You can even sink the pot in the ground amongst your perennials to lend an exotic showpiece to your garden.
It's really a matter of preference which you do.
Just remember that if you choose to take your amaryllis outside, you will need to bring it back in before the first fall frost strikes or you'll be back at the garden centre, picking up another bulb.
To ensure that your amaryllis puts out another gorgeous set of flowers next winter, you will need to care for it in much the same way you would any other house plant. That means watering and fertilizing it on a regular basis until autumn rolls around, at which point you will cut off the water and stop the fertilizer in an effort to encourage the leaves to die down. Once they have, cut them back, repot the bulb, and resume watering.
Your amaryllis should bloom in approximately six to eight weeks.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to me at vanessa@gardenmuse.ca.
Posted: January 14, 2011
