Should you prune amaryllis after flowering? How should you care for amaryllis after flowering? Our tips for caring for amaryllis in summer.
In many places, the impressive white, pink or red flowering species of amaryllis (Hippeastrum) are also known as knight's stars. The name Amaryllis bears witness to the past - once the knight stars were assigned to the genus Amaryllis, but now they include their own plant genus called Hippeastrum. Nevertheless, the name Amaryllis is still the most common - which is why we use it in this article. However, it is undisputed that the knight star is a perennial bulbous plant. After flowering, which usually appears from December to February, the amaryllis does not have to give way forever. If you take care of the amaryllis after flowering, you can get them to flower again next year without much effort.
Amaryllis: flowering time and care after cycles
In order to properly care for amaryllis, it is important to understand their different life cycles throughout the gardening year. The demands of amaryllis after flowering are fundamentally different. But first we will show you an overview of the individual life phases of an Amaryllis over the course of a year:
- Flowering period: December to February
- Growth: March to August
- Silent period: August to December
You can read here how to care for amaryllis during the flowering period. In this article, we'll focus on the specific needs of growth and dormancy.
Should you prune amaryllis after flowering?
Once the amaryllis has finished flowering, growth really begins. In order for the plant to develop optimally, you should cut off the amaryllis after flowering. The withered flower of the amaryllis including the stem is cut off a few centimeters above the bulb. The leaves of the amaryllis, on the other hand, are not cut off after flowering. On the contrary: it isIt is extremely important that the he althy leaves remain on the plant, as they are crucial for the plant's photosynthesis. If the leaves are cut off, the plant's nutrient reserves are often insufficient to recover from the cut.
Caring for amaryllis after flowering
After the amaryllis has been cut off after flowering, the development of the leaves progresses and the need for water and nutrients increases. The care of the amaryllis after flowering consists mainly of watering and supplying fertilizer. When watering, make sure that the amaryllis never dries out completely, but at the same time there should be no waterlogging. In order to ensure an optimal supply of nutrients, it is also advisable to supply the amaryllis with a good liquid fertilizer such as the Plantura organic balcony and flower fertilizer every 14 days. Caring for the amaryllis after flowering is very crucial. During this time, the flowers are already formed inside the bulb - too little water and an insufficient supply of nutrients can significantly reduce the willingness of the amaryllis to bloom in the coming winter. In addition, a sufficiently bright location is particularly important for the development of the amaryllis: it is best if the amaryllis can continue to stay in a warm and now also sunny place in the house. As soon as there is no longer any threat of frost from mid-May, the Amaryllis will do very well if it is placed outside. Optionally, it can also be planted in the bed.
Summary - How to care for amaryllis after flowering:
- February: Cut off dried flower shoots just above the bulb and continue to leave the amaryllis in a warm and now also bright location.
- May to July: Bring the amaryllis outside when there is no risk of frost.
- Make sure the amaryllis is sufficiently watered after flowering.
- Provide with a liquid flower fertilizer every two weeks.
Caring for amaryllis in summer
Stop watering and fertilizing the amaryllis at the end of July to the beginning of August - this is how the dormant phase is initiated. The dormant phase is necessary to allow the amaryllis to thrive later and to elicit the impressive flowers. The leaves dry up due to the lack of water. These are then cut off and the onion can now be moved to a cool and dark place in dry soil - for example in the cellar. However, the temperature should never fall below thefall to zero, a room temperature of around 15 °C is ideal. In November it's time to repot the bulb into new substrate and prepare it for flowering. The onion is removed from the old pot and transferred to new substrate. The top third should look out of the ground when planting and the bulb should have one to two centimeters of space in all directions in the pot.
If small bulbs have formed on the large amaryllis bulb, they can now be easily removed and planted individually. After one to two years of development, these self-propagated Amaryllis offspring will also flower. We will introduce you to other ways of propagating amaryllis in our special article.
If you want the amaryllis to flower in time for Christmas, you should water them lightly at the end of November to the beginning of December and put them in a reasonably light and warm spot in the house. The dormant phase is over and the forcing of the amaryllis has begun. You can read about the specific requirements of the plant during flowering in our special article on amaryllis care.
Summary - Getting Amaryllis Over the Summer:
- Stop watering and fertilizing from the end of July
- Carefully remove dried leaves from the plant
- Keep amaryllis in a cool and dark place
- Transplant into new substrate at the beginning of November
- Moisten the Amaryllis at the beginning of December and place it in a light spot
The amaryllis doesn't just look good in a pot - the plant is also charming cut off. You can find tips on amaryllis as a cut flower here.