Q I bought a hippeastrum (amaryllis) and it flowered beautifully. How can I ensure it flowers again next year?
Caption: With a bit of effort, hippeastrum should flower well in their second year
A To encourage hippeastrum (amaryllis) to flower for a second year, they need a period of rest during autumn. In mid-October position your plant in as light a place as possible, where the temperature will remain between 10°C and 13°C. Stop feeding your plant, but continue watering once every two weeks to keep the soil just moist.
After eight to ten weeks, return your hippeastrum to room temperature and cut off all the foliage to 6cm above the bulb. Resume watering and start feeding once the new growth appears. If your plant is pot bound, this is the time to unearth and clean the bulb before repotting it in a slightly larger container.
To delay flowering, and to achieve even better results, it is recommended that, after the initial rest period, you place the plants somewhere cooler, at around 5°C, until mid-March. This extension isn’t essential, but the delay means that the new growth will coincide with longer spring days, and result in a sturdier plant. Note however, this treatment should not be applied to smaller-flowered varieties, as they cannot be stalled.