What to Do With Amaryllis After They Bloom

Alongside poinsettias, evergreen garlands, and Christmas cacti, amaryllis bulbs are one of the most iconic plants for holiday decorating. Their white, red, and pink blossoms contrast beautifully with the bright green foliage that sprouts from the bulb.

Caring for a blooming amaryllis bulb is easy. Let it root in water or soil, provide bright indirect light, and keep the plant away from cold or hot drafts. The blooming stalks offer gorgeous blooms for weeks before they fade and wither.

After your amaryllis blooms, you may wonder how to continue caring for your plant. You have a few options: grow it outdoors, cultivate it inside, or recycle it in your compost. No matter what you decide to do, we’ll offer guidelines, tips, and tricks to make this process as easy as possible. 

Recycle the Bulb

Your first and easiest option is to discard the bulb! Maybe you don’t like amaryllis blooms, or your indoor and outdoor gardens are already full of plants. You don’t have to feel bad about getting rid of it, as there are easy ways to ensure the bulb returns to nature.

The best way to recycle nutrients in the home garden is with a compost pile. Throw your amaryllis bulbs in the pile to decompose, and they’ll return their nutrients outdoors. You may also bury the bulb underground, where it’ll decompose and feed underground organisms.

Avoid throwing these bulbs in the trash, as they add unnecessary debris to our landfills. But what if your bulb has wax all over it? Some growers coat these bulbs with wax to make them last longer without soil or water. First, remove the wax before composting or burying the bulb, as it may not be biodegradable. 

Remove Spent Blooms

Let’s say you’d prefer to keep your amaryllis; disposing of it is the last thing you want to do! The following steps guide you through the process of cultivating and storing your bulbs both outdoors and inside. 

After blooming, the first step is to remove the spent amaryllis flowers. Amaryllis flowers last a few weeks before turning brown, shriveling, and withering away. If you leave them on the plant, they may form seed pods! Start using snips or pruners to slice off the spent blooms, careful not to cut away the stem or the leaves.

Continue Normal Care

Like tulips and daffodils, amaryllis plants keep their leaves and stems long after flowering. The green leaves capture energy from the sun and convert it into sugar and other nutrients. If you remove the foliage ahead of time, you’ll hurt your bulb’s chances of flowering next year.

Continue caring for amaryllis plants indoors by providing bright indirect light, consistent moisture, and warm temperatures. They like moist, not soggy soil, so wait to water if it’s already wet. If the bulbs grow in water culture with pebbles, aim to refresh the water once a week. 

These winter bloomers require moderate temperatures to thrive. Try to keep household temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C). If you’re happy and warm, chances are your plants are too. 

You may also grow potted plants outdoors under partial shade during spring and summer. Transition them slowly, providing them a week or two of dappled sunlight so they adapt to the outdoor environment. 

Fertilize Potted Amaryllis

Amaryllis plants appreciate regular fertilizer doses during the growing season. Wait for them to finish flowering before adding a well-balanced organic fertilizer. Whether your bulbs grow in water or soil, they’ll need essential nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous to perform their best.

How to fertilize depends on the medium this plant grows in. Potted plants in the soil benefit from liquid or powder fertilizers. Apply a regular dose to your plants once or twice a month, according to the fertilizer package’s instructions. Start fertilizing after the blooms fade and stop once the leaves die and the bulbs begin entering dormancy. 

Amaryllis growing in water cultures require different care. Feed them a quarter dose of liquid fertilizer once or twice a month as they grow, diluting it into the water. Change the water after a week to discourage rots or molds from growing. 

Cut Off Withering Foliage

The growing season lasts from spring until fall. You’ll notice amaryllis leaves begin turning yellow and brown, and start falling off in late summer and early autumn. They’ll drink less water and take in fewer nutrients during this time, meaning their soil will stay moist longer than usual. You won’t need to feed them at this time.

Once the foliage completely withers, you can cut it off with snips or pruners. Make cuts two to three inches above the bulb, leaving some stems behind to seal the wound. Avoid removing leaves before they turn yellow and brown, as the bulbs are actively sucking nutrients and moisture from them to prepare for winter dormancy. 

Throw the withered leaves in the compost, or use them as mulch for your garden plants outdoors. Let the cut wounds heal for a week or two. After the wound dries and shrivels, your amaryllis bulbs are ready to enter winter dormancy.

Prepare for Dormancy

Amaryllis plants are like most winter and spring-blooming bulbs. They require a break during the cool months, during which they prepare their big blooms for the next growing season. Unlike daffodils and tulips, amaryllis aren’t especially cold hardy. 

They appreciate cool, mild conditions that are common in their native range. Amaryllis, or Hippeastrum botanically, originate from Central and South America where the climate is warm and tropical for most of the year. Some areas of North America work well for growing this perennial outdoors, although most growers will need to keep their bulbs indoors during dormancy. 

Whether planting the bulbs outdoors or indoors, you’ll want to remove them from their pots to discourage rot and mold. Brush off any soil that sticks to them, and let them dry in a cool, dark location. The bulbs need eight to ten weeks of winter dormancy before they’re ready to bloom.

Outdoor Care

Outdoor care is easiest, although it’s best for growers who live in hardiness zones 7 through 10. Amaryllis grow without issues in zones 9 and 10, and in zones 7 and 8 if they have extra mulch protection during winter. Bury them so their necks stick out of the ground. Avoid burying them too deep, as they may rot or decay in the ground.

Add a two to three-inch thick mulch layer on the bulbs in zones 7 and 8 to protect the protruding necks from frost. These plants aren’t quite as hardy as daffodils and tulips—they benefit from winter protection. Keep their soil moist, not soggy, and don’t let them dry out completely.

Potted plants most likely won’t survive the outdoors during fall and winter. The bulbs are hardy underground, but they lack the insulation they need when growing in pots. Aim to plant them a month before your first frost date so they enter dormancy before harsh temperatures arrive. 

Indoor Care

Gardeners in zones 1 through 7 can safely store amaryllis indoors during the winter. They’ll need eight to ten weeks of dormancy before you can pot them up for new blooms. Let the dry bulbs rest in a cool, dark location that mimics below the soil. Some good storage spots are in a container in the fridge, an unheated garage, a basement, or a cool pantry. 

Ensure the temperature and light levels stay constant throughout the dormant period to avoid early sprouts. After the period ends, bring your bulbs out of storage and prepare them for planting! They’ll work well in pots of soil or jars of water, depending on the indoor style you’re hoping to achieve. If you’re growing these bulbs in water, add pebbles to the bottom of the jars to help stabilize them.