Amaryllis care after blooming

Chances are your amaryllis has stopped blooming at this point and you may be wondering what you should do now.

When the last flower has faded, cut off the flower stalk close to the bulb, leaving the foliage intact.

Move your bulb to the sunniest location you have. Your bulb is in a growth phase now. It will need all the light it can get.

Start to fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer such as Fertilome 20-20-20 or Fertilome Rooting and Blooming and water regularly. You want to keep the soil evenly moist. Once the risk of frost has passed, usually Mother’s Day around here, move the potted amaryllis outdoors to a sunny location. Increase fertilizing to every 2 weeks and water daily. You can leave your amaryllis outside into fall. You’ll want to stop fertilizing and bring the bulb indoors before first frost or in late September. Remove the bulb from the pot and wash the soil off the roots. Store the bulb in a cool location for eight to ten weeks, which will allow the bulb to go dormant. Usually amaryllis will lose their leaves at this time. Check the bulb every week. After eight or ten weeks you should notice the tip of a new flower stalk begin to appear.

Repot the bulb in fresh potting soil, being careful to leave the upper third of the bulb exposed.

Water your bulb thoroughly after repotting and place the pot in a warm, sunny location. Start to fertilize monthly. You can repeat this process every year and if you provide the right growth and rest periods, your bulb will continue to grow and flower every season.