Expert: Kenneth Joergensen - 9/23/2006

Question
I received an amarylis for Christmas last year and it bloomed beautifully.  Planted it outside this spring and leaves have stayed green and healthy looking.  Live in Indianapolis, Indiana and think I should bring it indoors for the winter in a pot.  How do I take care of it now so it will bloom again.  Thank you for your help.  Happy Gardening!

Answer
You want to bring the amaryllis indoors before first frost.

I like to leave it outdoors until end of October in your area, but you can try to keep an eye on the long range forecast. If they forecast night frost, you should dig up the bulb and bring it indoors.

The amaryllis is a heavy feeder outdoors. You should give if regular applications of fertilizer and full sun, and the bulb will likely have expanded (grown larger).

When digging up the bulb, try to use a garden fork and avoid cutting the long roots off.

Wash the soil from the plant.

You now have two options:
You can pot it up immediately, put it in a sunny window (preferably where it stays warm with no cold drafts) and keep it growing actively and it will eventually flower.

Or you can:

My favorite option is to put the amaryllis in a cardboard box for about 3 months (light is not required). Once the leaves have died back (about 30-45 days, e.g. mid december), then you can cut the top of the plant off (cut the nose of the bulb). Make a straight cut with a hobby knive which has been dipped in a cup of water to which you have added a tbsp of bleach.

Leave the amaryllis on the shelve until either new leaves, or flower scapes appear at the tip of the nose. This is why I cut the "nose off" so I can better see the new sprouting leaves/scapes. This typically happens in January/February to me. When you see new growth, replant in fresh soil in a pot which allow about 3/4 - 1" of space between the widest part of the bulb and the inside of the pot. If no sign of new growth you can pot up by mid February.

The reason I like to let the leaves die back and give it a rest period is because it tends to "program" the plant to flower again. If the plant has been growing with green leaves for 8-9 months and the bulb has enlarged (through planting outdoors in sun), it should flower again in response to such programming.

Water once really well after planting, but then only water when needed. Until growth starts, it does not need much water.

When the plant starts to grow again, it should need more water. It uses most water when flowering.

After flowering is complete, cut the flower scapes off and let the leaves stay. Then plant outdoors in spring.

I like to start fertilizing after green growth shows (or after flowering, to make it easy). I do not fertilize before green growth is showing.

I wrote an article about amaryllis care once when I used to write for suite101. You can find the article, with pictures, here:

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/home_lawncare/112076/

(copy/paste the above link as ONE line into the browser address bar)

I have had very good luck with all of mine. They create offsets easily. Let them stay with the mother plant for 1 season and you can seperate them. They will grow to flowering size in another 1-2 seasons.

Good luck
-- Kenneth