The Amaryllis (Hippeastrum species and hybrids) is a treasured houseplant, known for its spectacular, trumpet-shaped blooms, often appearing around the winter holidays. These tropical bulbs produce multiple large flowers on tall, sturdy stalks. While the plant naturally yields one bloom period per year, it is possible to encourage the bulb to flower a second time within the same twelve-month period. Achieving a second bloom requires specific, intentional care and manipulation of the bulb’s energy reserves and natural resting phase.
The Standard Amaryllis Bloom Cycle
The natural cycle of the Hippeastrum bulb begins with flowering, typically occurring during late winter or early spring. Once the blooms fade, the plant shifts focus to intense vegetative growth, producing long, strap-like leaves. This foliage acts as the bulb’s energy factory, utilizing photosynthesis over spring and summer to replenish nutrient stores depleted by flowering.
This active growth phase is crucial because the bulb must accumulate sufficient energy to initiate the next cycle’s flower buds. In its native habitat, the plant naturally slows down as environmental conditions change, leading to a period of dormancy, usually in the autumn. This rest period is a prerequisite for the next year’s flowering, signaling the bulb to prepare for a renewed growth phase. In cultivation, this dormancy often needs to be enforced to prepare the bulb for its typical re-bloom the following winter.
Manipulating Dormancy for a Second Bloom
To achieve a second bloom, the grower must trick the bulb into completing its annual cycle twice. This requires allowing a period of vigorous vegetative growth after the first bloom, followed by an artificially induced second dormancy phase. If the bulb flowered in January, allow the leaves to photosynthesize and rebuild energy reserves throughout the spring and early summer, typically until late June or early July. This sustained period of leaf growth is non-negotiable for the bulb’s health and capacity to flower again.
Once this summer growth period is complete (after four to six months), initiate the forced rest period by completely stopping watering and fertilization. The goal is to simulate the dry, cool conditions that signal the end of the growing season in its native environment. Move the entire potted plant to a cool, dark location, such as a garage or basement, where temperatures remain consistently between 40 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
The foliage will begin to yellow and wilt as the plant enters dormancy; allow the leaves to shrivel naturally before cutting them off a few inches above the bulb. The bulb must remain in this cool, dry, and dark environment for a minimum of six to eight weeks, though ten weeks is more reliable for successful bud initiation. After this enforced rest, the bulb can be brought back into warmth and light. A single thorough watering will signal it to break dormancy and begin producing a second flower stalk, often resulting in a bloom in the late summer or early fall.
Essential Care Requirements for Re-Blooming Success
The success of forcing a second bloom hinges entirely on the energy reserves built up in the bulb between the two flowering periods. Immediately after the first flowers fade, cut the stalk back to about an inch above the bulb’s neck, and intensely nurture the remaining foliage. The plant requires the sunniest possible location for maximum photosynthetic activity, ideally receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Moving the potted plant outdoors after the danger of frost is beneficial, as natural sunlight accelerates energy storage more rapidly than indoor light.
During this active growth phase, maintain a consistent watering schedule, ensuring the top inch or two of the soil is allowed to dry out between waterings to prevent bulb rot. Crucially, maintain a feeding regimen using a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer applied every two to four weeks. Experts often recommend a formula with a slightly higher concentration of phosphorus (the middle number in the NPK ratio), as this element supports root and flower development.
This diligent care—ample light, consistent moisture, and regular feeding—ensures the bulb can fully regenerate the starches and sugars needed to form new flower buds. If the bulb does not accumulate sufficient energy reserves, it will prioritize leaf production when awakened from dormancy, skipping the second bloom entirely. The period of vegetative growth between the first bloom and the forced rest is the most important factor for a successful second flowering.