by Connie Oswald Stofko
There aren’t many plants blooming outdoors right now, but many Western New Yorkers are enjoying stunning amaryllis flowers indoors.
Amaryllis bulbs are popular holiday gifts. If your plant is done blooming, don’t throw it away–it can bloom again next year.
It’s pretty easy to get an amaryllis to bloom again, and the small effort you put into the project is well worth the effort. Amaryllis has huge, trumpet-shaped flowers–it’s spectacular!
The most important thing to know is that you shouldn’t cut the leaves of the plant. The leaves are needed to supply nutrients to the bulb and enable the plant to flower again.
My friend David Clark, CNLP, who teaches the great horticulture classes at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, has provided most of the information about amaryllis on my site. See the best links below, and make sure you look at the comments in these articles, too.
- Don’t cut leaves off amaryllis! (If you already cut the leaves off, read the comments on this article to see what to do. Also find information in the comments on problems where leaves fell off.)
- Basic information on forcing amaryllis
- A different method of forcing amaryllis, plus what to do if you get red streaks on the leaves
- Potting an amaryllis
- Holland variety of amaryllis has no leaves: will it come back?
Note: If you have a problem with a plant, contact the Master Gardeners in your area.
Hi Wendy, I don’t think the waxed bulbs can be used after the first bloom, but I’m not sure. You can ask the folks at the Botanical Gardens or your florist shop. I hope that helps. And please tell us what you find out!
I bought a bulb that has been coated in wax which seems to be a new thing. They were on display at the Gardens hung upside down and my local florist had them and I purchased one. I also purchase two from a Holland Bulb Co. as xmas gifts. Mine bloomed beautifully! Three stems with lovely flowers. BUT the ones ordered online never came to life. I was refunded my $ – they weren’t cheap! My question is what to do with it? Will this bulb rebloom? There is no watering required. I’m thinking let it completely die off and put in basement? When would I bring it back up? OR is this a one-time thing?