AMARYLLIS PLANTER CARE TIPS:
Keep the soil moist but not wet. The planter does not have drainage holes so be careful not to overwater. Water only when the top inch of soil feels dry. To keep the ancillary holiday greenery fresh, you can mist daily, if desired.
To prolong the life of your amaryllis blooms, keep your planter out of direct sun and away from heat sources. Bright, indirect sun is best. Each bulb should produce 3-4 flower stalks over the course of several weeks (if not even into the spring!). Long, flat leaves will emerge from the bulb as your plant continues to grow. Turn your planter/pot every few days to encourage flower stalks to grow straight. In the event your stems become top heavy with blooms, the flowering stems can be supported by securing the stems to the decorative branches using twine, as needed.
Cut individual flowers off as they fade. Once all flowers on a stalk have faded, cut the stem back to the top of the bulb. Do not cut off the green leaves. As the winter progress, flower stalks will continue to emerge!
For BloomS Next Year:
Don't toss your amaryllis bulbs after they finish blooming! You can keep them as houseplants and then coax them into bloom during the next holiday season. Here's what to do after all the flowers fade:
1. Cut off faded blooms to prevent seed pods from forming. Each flower stalk could produce anywhere from 4-6 individual flowers. Once all the blooms on a stem fades, cut the stem back to the top of the bulb. Don't cut off the green leaves. We only grow the biggest amaryllis bulbs which should produce 3-4 flower stalks per bulb. After the last bloom stalk has been clipped off, your amaryllis will still be attractive with sword-like, dark green foliage.
2. Move your plant to a sunny windowsill so the leaves can gather light, photosynthesize, and provide nourishment to the bulb. At this point, the bulb will be making sugars to store so they can bloom again.
3. Keep watering your plants so the soil stays moist, but never soggy.
4. Amaryllis need at least 8 weeks of dormancy before they can re-bloom. For December holiday flowering, begin withholding water in early August and let the foliage die back naturally. Once the foliage has dried and died, cut the dried foliage within 1" of the top of the bulb and store the dormant bulb in a cool, dry, dark location. Basements are good choices and even the back of a closet or under the kitchen sink will work.
5. At this point you are forcing your bulbs to take a rest and go dormant before starting a new flowering cycle. During this period, completely stop watering and let your amaryllis "sleep" for at least 8 weeks.
6. After the bulb’s rest period, start the growing cycle again by replacing the soil with fresh potting mix, remove any dead leaves and any old, peeling bulb sheaths (these look like the dried, outer skins on an onion), and replant, leaving 1/3 of the bulb exposed. Amaryllis bulbs don’t like to be completely buried.
7. Place your potted amaryllis in bright light and give it one good drink of water. The combination of light and water will "wake up" the plant and encourage it to start growing again. Once new growth emerges, increase watering and wait for your flowers to come, usually in 4-6 weeks!
With good care your amaryllis bulbs will bloom seasonally for years to come!