The magnificent, star-shaped flowers always create a pre-Christmas mood. We look at what needs to be considered when caring for the amaryllis.
The different types of Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) are also known as Delphiniums. Botanically, they are assigned to the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae). The designation as amaryllis for the red, white or pink flowering and onion-forming plants that we are familiar with is not entirely correct. They used to be assigned to the genus Amaryllis. However, this is now reserved for a single species. It's easy to find out whether it's a real amaryllis or the knight's star, which we often see here: the knight's star develops its magnificent flower first and only then the elongated leaves. The real amaryllis, on the other hand, only flowers after the leaves have formed. Nevertheless, the widely represented Hippeastrum species are usually referred to as Amaryllis. Here you can find out what care the knight's star requires and how it can be safely brought into bloom.
Buy Amaryllis: In a pot or as a bulb
Amaryllis are offered in two ways. Either you decide for the gardener pre-cultivated amaryllis in the pot. A budding of the onion can often be observed here. However, you can also buy loose amaryllis bulbs and plant them in a pot yourself.
A short and concise summary of what to look out for when buying a knight's star in a pot or as a loose onion:
Buy Potted Amaryllis
- He althy appearance.
- Substrate not too moist, as waterlogging can kill the onion
- Strong bud, because the thicker the bud, the more flowers are likely to be formed.
- Protect against temperatures that are too low during transport - temperatures below 10 °C can become critical.
Buy amaryllis bulbs
- Loose onion can be self from October to Decemberbe planted.
- Do not choose a pot that is too big - there should only be 1 to 2 cm of space between the onion and the edge of the pot on all sides.
- A commercially available potting soil based on compost or peat with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5 is suitable as a substrate.
- Cover the bottom half to two-thirds of the onion in the pot with soil.
- Leave the top third to half of the bulb above the ground.
- Water lightly after planting so that the substrate settles.
- Keep the onion warm to sauté (room temperature around 20 °C).
Caring for Amaryllis: The Different Growth Cycles
When is which care for the amaryllis best? This essentially depends on the phase in which the knight star is currently located. After all, the amaryllis is a perennial plant and its life cycle does not end when flowering is complete in February.
The following phases determine the life and needs of an Amaryllis:
- Flowering period from December to February
- Growth from March to August
- Silent period August to December
In this article we will focus exclusively on the preferences of the amaryllis during the flowering period. If you don't want the plant to give way after flowering and you want it to bloom for years to come, you can read here in the article about caring for the amaryllis after flowering, how you can get the impressive flowers out of the bulb again.
Amaryllis: care during flowering
So that the amaryllis feels good and it blooms as magnificently as possible, you have to pay attention to a few things for optimal care.
The right location
The right place for flowering amaryllis is indoors. It doesn't even matter whether this place is flooded with light on the shelf of a bright window or on a chest of drawers in a rather dark place in the hallway. It is essentially important that the room temperature (around 20 °C) is given. That's why you have to be careful when you ventilate the house during the cold season to let fresh air into the house: The amaryllis should always be kept out of the line of the frosty, fresh draft to avoid damage from the cold.
The right temperature
Amaryllis is very sensitive to cold. Therefore, the temperatures in their environment should not be below 15 °C. Still candifferent temperatures in the culture of the amaryllis are optimal.
If the amaryllis is still in the bud stage and therefore has to be driven until it blooms, temperatures of around 20 °C accelerate this process. In this way, the time until the flowers appear can be shortened.
If the amaryllis is already showing its impressive flowers, you want to keep them alive for as long as possible. Slightly lower temperatures between 15 and 20 °C are ideal for this.
Watering and fertilizing flowering amaryllis properly
When watering the flowering amaryllis, less is definitely more! The water requirement is rather low and it can quickly happen that the substrate contains too much water. Since the onion quickly tends to develop mold if it is waterlogged, a small amount of water should only be given when the substrate visibly begins to dry out. It is best to put the water in the repot or trivet. This avoids water getting directly onto the bulb and provoking mold.
The amaryllis does not need to be fertilized during flowering. The supply is ensured by the nutrient-storing onion. If the amaryllis is well supplied with nutrients during its growth phase in spring and summer, it can still draw on these during flowering. Fertilize regularly between April and August. For optimal nutrient supply, we recommend an organic liquid fertilizer such as our Plantura Organic Flower & Balcony Fertilizer, which is simply added to the irrigation water.
An overview of the right care for a blooming amaryllis
- Warm location, does not necessarily have to be bright.
- Forcing tends to be warmer than during bloom to reduce time to bloom and increase bloom duration.
- Protect from temperatures below 15 °C (draughts, during transport).
- Do not water until the substrate has dried out to avoid waterlogging.
- Fertilization between April and August.
Amaryllis: Life after flowering
Once the amaryllis has withered, it shouldn't have to leave its place forever. With relatively little maintenance, it can easily be made to flower next winter. After flowering, the withered inflorescences are cut off. If there is no longer a threat of frost, the amaryllis can even be planted in the bed. The main growing season prevails until August, when the amaryllis has the highest waterand also has nutritional needs. That's why it has to be fertilized regularly (every one to two weeks).
The rest period begins at the end of August. Fertilizers are stopped and watering reduced. After the foliage has dried, it is cut off. Ultimately, the onion must be protected from the first early frosts. Therefore, it is planted again in fresh substrate in a pot and placed in a cool place for ten to 12 weeks. Then, from December, the game starts all over again and the amaryllis is placed indoors in a warm place. The forcing has started and after a few weeks the first flowers will be visible.
If one amaryllis is not enough for you, you can propagate it in different ways. Here you will find all the information you need to propagate amaryllis.