What Do You Do with Amaryllis After Christmas?

Amaryllis is popular among gardeners for its large, vibrant coloured flowers and remarkable ability to bloom with little care, making it a beloved plant.

Depending on amaryllis varieties, you can expect blooming from December until June.

In addition to its visual appeal, its willingness to flower indoors in winter makes it a popular flowering plant during Christmas.

This is why most people receive and give amaryllis as a festival gift.

But what should you do with amaryllis after blooming or Christmas?

After Christmas, take a sharp tool to cut off the bloom right at the top of the flower stalk. This is to stop the plant from producing seeds.

With regular watering and adequate sunlight, your amaryllis will act as a normal houseplant and rebloom. These flower stalks help the plant to carry out photosynthesis.

If you notice the flower stalk turning yellow, trim it half an inch above the bulb.

Life Cycle of Amaryllis

Though amaryllis is native to tropical and sub-tropical climates, gardeners in colder regions can grow amaryllis indoors.

It is easy to grow amaryllis; you don’t have to have a green thumb. 

After blooming, this flowering plant continues producing new leaves to carry out photosynthesis.

If you notice the flower stalks getting yellow, you’re advised to cut them off, leaving a half inch on the bulb. Amaryllis plant stores energy in the bulb to reuse to produce new leaves and blossoms.

When all leaves are removed, the amaryllis bulb undergoes a dormancy period before blooming for the next year.

During this dormancy or rest period, reduce watering and place the bulb in a cool and dark location.

After 8 to 12 weeks, you can expect the amaryllis to bloom again.

Later in this article, I’ll share how to force this flowering plant to bloom again after Christmas.

Amaryllis after Christmas

You can grow amaryllis as an indoor plant after Christmas. You can make this plant bloom again after the holidays with proper care.

Amaryllis bloom at Christmas, and people gift potted amaryllis to their loved ones. They can be used to decorate your home and used as cut flowers.

But what should you do after Christmas?

Cut flowers off and leave the flower stalk when they start to wither. These long stalks help the plant in the photosynthesis process.

It is one of the popular flowering plants after poinsettias at Christmas.

The flowering timing of amaryllis is the main reason they are associated with this festive season.

Amaryllis is available in varied colors. Red, white, and pink colored blooms of this plant make it a popular choice to add a touch of elegance to your Christmas celebrations.

Along with its vibrant blooms, it has a historical story of a shy maiden named Amaryllis and Alteo.

This symbolizes love, determination, strength, ethereal beauty, and sturdiness.

Over several years, the popularity of amaryllis has increased, and it is the best alternative to poinsettias and Christmas cacti.

It’s easy to grow, and its willingness to bloom indoors in winter made amaryllis a new holiday staple.

How to Care Amaryllis after Christmas or Blooming?

Certainly, you’ve seen the beauty of amaryllis flowers, but by taking proper care, you can enjoy the charm of its foliage.

Providing adequate water, light, and fertilizer will allow the plant to store energy in the bulb, which is used to rebloom.

With little care, this low-maintenance ornamental plant adds elegance to your living room.

After-bloom care includes three stages: one after Christmas, the rest period or dormancy, and the third stage, regrowth and rebloom.

Stage: 1 Amaryllis Care after Christmas

After Christmas, relocate the plant to a sunny location (indoor). Cut the flowers off when they start to fade and lose their freshness, leaving flower stalks.

Otherwise, the plant will deplete energy to form seeds.

As flower stalks play a vital role in photosynthesis, you should leave them. If the flower stalk turns yellow, trim it off, leaving half an inch above the bulb.

Energy stored in the bulb will be reused for regrowth of leaves and to bloom next year.

Until late summer, ensure plant care with regular watering and fertilizing once every 2-3 weeks.

Avoid overwatering, as it can rot and kill the plant roots.

After the danger of the last frost, you can shift the potted amaryllis outdoors to ensure 6-8 hours of indirect sunlight.

Note: The ideal temperature to grow amaryllis should be above 50F. If the night temperature in your region drops below 50F, relocate the plant indoors.

Soil should be well-drained and fertile to grow this flowering plant. If needed, you can repot the amaryllis after Christmas.

Stage: 2 Amaryllis Plant Care during Dormancy

Amaryllis don’t require dormancy; they can continue to grow if allowed. New leaves and flower stalks appear from the bulb, which ensures the plant carries the photosynthesis process.

But to rebloom, you should make it dormant by reducing watering and storing it in a cool, dark location.

• Stop watering the amaryllis bulb for eight weeks and keep it in a dark, dry location.
• The ideal temperature of the room should be 50-60F.
• Cut off yellow leaves and flower stalk off the plant.
• Once the new leaves grow from the bulb, relocate the pot to a sunny spot. Sunlight should be indirect, and start watering the plant.
• Apply a balanced fertilizer once after 2-3 weeks.
• With this procedure, you can time amaryllis blooming around specific events.

If you don’t see new growth from the bulb even after 8-12 weeks, the bulb probably hasn’t stored nutrients after the blooming period.

Bring the potted bulb to a sunny location and provide water and balanced fertilizer.

Usually, in 4-6 weeks, blooms start to appear. 

Stage: 3 Amaryllis Rebloom

After cutting spent flowers, the amaryllis bulb undergoes a rest period where it grows new leaves.

In some cases, when the growth of new leaves and flower stalks hasn’t started, you can encourage the regrowth by relocating the potted bulb to a sunny location.

The bulb may take 8-12 weeks to start regrowing leaves. Move the plant under bright sunlight and water regularly.

Fertilizing with a balanced fertilizer will promote blooming and foliage formation.

Repotting Amaryllis

It is not required to report amaryllis after Christmas. If your container or pot is small, you should repot when the plant has a dormant period.

Please choose one size large pot and fill it with well-drained and fertile soil.

Ensure the pot has a drainage hole to remove excess water.

After dormancy, relocate the newly potted plant to a sunny spot. Regular watering and fertilizing once in 2-3 weeks promotes healthy amaryllis.

How to Force Amaryllis to Bloom at Christmas?

It is possible to make amaryllis bloom at Christmas. You should buy a healthy amaryllis bulb before 8-12 weeks, as it takes eight weeks to grow and rebloom.

So, if you want amaryllis to bloom on Christmas Eve, you should plant in early fall.

• Buy an amaryllis bulb from a garden store and plant it in a large container that can accommodate the plant.
• Fill the pot with well-drained soil that can retain the required moisture.
• Water sparingly and place it in a dark place for about six weeks.
• When you notice new growth, move the potted amaryllis to a sunny spot and water regularly.
• Fertilizing with phosphorus-rich fertilizer encourages amaryllis to promote blooming.
• Amaryllis will start to bloom after six weeks after you move the plant to a sunny location.

How do I get my Christmas amaryllis to bloom again?

To be able to rebloom amaryllis after Christmas, you should take proper care.

• Cut the spent flowers and leave the stalk.
• If the flower stalk is turning yellow, then cut it off.
• Water regularly and move the amaryllis to a dark location when you notice the leaves are turning yellow.
• Keep it in the dark and reduce watering for about eight weeks.
• Soon, you’ll notice new growth, and the plant will bloom again within weeks.

Once you notice regrowth, relocate the plant under bright, indirect sunlight.

How do I keep my amaryllis bulb for next year?

• Trim down flowers, leaves, and flower stalks.
• Leave half an inch of flower stalk on the bulb and dig it from the soil.
• Remove excess soil by shaking gently.
• Shift the amaryllis to a dark, dry spot.
• Stop watering during this period.

This will make the bulb undergo dormancy, and you can use the amaryllis bulb for next year.

How do you cut an amaryllis after it blooms?

After Christmas, when you see a fading of amaryllis flowers, use a sharp cutter to trim spent flowers.

Leave flower stalk and leaves on the bulb. This is to ensure the photosynthesis process is carried out without difficulty.

Amaryllis care indoors after blooming

After blooming, cut off blossoms, and you can use them as cut flowers.

If required, cut off the flower stalk that turned yellow. As the amaryllis can’t survive frost, relocate the potted amaryllis indoors and ensure the ideal temperature is above 50F.

After blooming, you can regularly use pruned amaryllis in bright indirect spots and water. This plant can be grown as a normal houseplant.

To rebloom, relocate the amaryllis bulb to a dark environment and stop watering.

When you notice new growth within 8-12 weeks, relocate the plant to a sunny location and water adequately.

Conclusion

You can rebloom amaryllis after Christmas.

All you’ve to do is to take proper care.

After dormancy or rest period, bring back the amaryllis bulb under indirect sunlight from a dark spot.

During the rest period, the amaryllis bulb stores energy and starts to regrow after eight weeks.

It is one of the easiest flowering plants to grow for Christmas.