If an amaryllis keeps the long-awaited blossom under wraps, detailed research into the cause sheds light on the matter. In order to get to the bottom of the dilemma, the entire care program is put to the test. This is how you make your knight's star bloom.
Why isn't my amaryllis blooming?
If an amaryllis does not bloom, this may be due to a lack of light, lack of rest or incorrect care. Place the plant in a bright location, allow a 12-week rest period in autumn and repot the bulb after rest.
If there is a lack of light, the flower will fail
If a freshly purchased amaryllis bulb refuses to bloom, please first take a closer look at the site conditions. Native to the sun-drenched regions of South America, a knight's star requires a sufficient amount of sunlight to flower. There should be at least 4 hours a day when the sun's rays reach the hippeastrum.
Flower power lies in the autumn calm
For an amaryllis to repeat the colorful festival in the year following its first flowering, the plant needs a 12-week regeneration phase. If you deny your knight's star the well-deserved growth rest, you will look in vain for the winter blooms. This care schedule corresponds perfectly to the subtropical growth cycle:
- At the end of the flowering period, cut off the withered flowers and the yellowed main stem
- Keep watering the amaryllis
- Fertilize liquidly every 14 days from May to July
- From August onwards, stop watering in partially shaded locations and stop supplying nutrients
From September to the end of October/beginning of November, the Ritterstern stays in the dark, cool cellar. Once the leaves are completely drawn in, cut them off now. Until then, the onion will absorb all the nutrients in order to create a reserve for the winter flowering period.
Professional care after dormancy - Here's how it works
At the end of the 3-month rest phase, gradually initiate the budding of the inflorescence. If root strands are sticking out of the opening in the ground, repotting is the first step on the agenda. Also start giving water in small sips in November. If you place the Ritterstern in a partially shaded window seat with temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius, the flowering will not take long.
Tip
Regardless of its breathtaking blooms, an amaryllis is not suitable as a floral ambassador of love. In fact, in the language of flowers, a knight's star expresses deep respect and friendship.
