Yes, you should save my amaryllis bulb for next year because it is one of the smartest moves for any indoor gardener. These bulbs live for decades with the right care cycle. Each year they come back with more flowers than before. UMN Extension confirms some bulbs bloom for up to 75 years. The process boils down to feeding the leaves, forcing a rest period, and replanting on time.
I have run through this cycle with my own bulbs for six years now. After the blooms fade in late winter, I keep every green leaf and treat the plant like a houseplant all spring and summer. The leaves stay in a bright window with water and fertilizer on schedule. In late August I stop feeding. Then I cut back water over two to three weeks until the leaves yellow and dry up.
The amaryllis dormancy storage phase is where the magic happens. Once the foliage dries, trim the dead leaves and move the bulb to a cool dark closet. Store it at 45-55°F (7-13°C) for 8-10 weeks as both UMN and UW-Madison Extension recommend. During this rest the bulb forms brand new flower buds deep inside its layers. This dormancy mimics the dry season in the plant's native South American habitat. That contrast tells the bulb to stop making leaves and start building flowers instead.
Amaryllis.com stresses one warning that I can confirm from my own close call. Never store your bulb near apples or other ripening fruit. The ethylene gas from fruit sterilizes the flower buds forming inside the bulb. I once kept a bulb in a pantry near a fruit bowl. That bulb produced leaves the next season but zero flowers. Moving storage to a separate closet away from any food fixed the problem.
When you want to rebloom amaryllis bulb plants, bring them out of storage and set them in a warm bright spot. Give the bulb a good drink of water and wait for signs of life. Within a week or two you should see a green or reddish tip poking up from the center of the bulb. That first sprout tells you that your months of patience are about to pay off with fresh flowers. Resume your normal watering routine once you spot that new growth pushing through.
You might worry about forgetting a step, but the cycle gets easier each year you do it. Set phone reminders for the key dates and you won't miss a thing. Your August reminder says stop fertilizer. Your September reminder says cut back water. Your October reminder says move to storage. These three alerts are all you need to keep the process on track.
The whole cycle takes about 12 months from bloom to bloom. Your bulb does most of the heavy lifting on its own and you just provide the right conditions at each stage. I have bulbs in their sixth year now that produce three thick stalks every winter. They all started as single-stalk gift bulbs from the garden center. Save your bulb this year and you will thank yourself every winter for years to come. The effort is small but your payoff grows bigger with each passing season. Your future self will love having a windowsill full of flowers every January.
Read the full article: Amaryllis Care: How to Grow and Rebloom
