Amaryllis: cut flowers in glasses or vases

Amaryllis is also beautiful as cut flowers. Here you will learn how to retain the splendour of flowers in the vase for as long as possible.

The amaryllis (Hippeastrum – meaning “knight’s star”) features captivating, imposing flowers in soft white, lovely pink or intense red. Often, the bulb–forming amaryllis plant (Amaryllidaceae) is found as a potted plant on the windowsill. With proper treatment, the flowers in the pot last longer, and often form several flower shoots per bulb. However, amaryllis can last long and beautifully in a winter bouquet or as a single artist in a vase. We will show you how to treat an amaryllis as a cut flower in glass or vase.

Amaryllis as cut flowers: cutting and taping

Before the amaryllis takes its place in the vase, it should be freshly cut again. Gloves should be worn as the sap of the amaryllis is toxic and can because skin irritation. As a rule, the flower stalks of amaryllis are very long. Of course, they can be cut to fit – even if that means taking off 20 cm. However, at least three centimetres should be cut from the stem.

The stem of the amaryllis tends to curl up at the bottom. This makes water absorption more difficult and causes the fabric to soften more quickly. Therefore, it is recommended to stick a strip of adhesive tape around the lower end of the stem. When cutting the amaryllis is important to remember the following:

• Trim the amaryllis first
• Either cut to length to fit, but cut off at least 3 cm
• Tape around lower end of stem with adhesive tape to avoid curling of stem end

Amaryllis as cut flowers: water supply

It is not necessary to fill the entire vase with water. It is better if water is added more often or the water is replaced altogether. The longer the water sits in the vase, the more likely it is to become cloudy, and the cut amaryllis’ conductive pathways can make it difficult to absorb water. Ultimately, the life of the cut flower is significantly shortened if there is no supply of fresh water. We also recommended adding a little nutrient powder for cut flowers to the water. When watering the amaryllis, bear the following in mind:

• Do not put too much water in the vase – less is more
• Ideally add nutrient powder for cut flowers to the vase water
• Change water regularly – at the latest when it starts to get cloudy

The effect of temperature

Amaryllis is extremely sensitive to cold, both in the pot and in the vase as a cut flower. Temperatures below 15 °C can massively damage it and abruptly end the flowering period. Therefore, make sure that it is well packed during transportation, especially on frosty days. In the house, it should be taken out of cold draughts during occasional ventilation. Otherwise, you can quickly get a nasty surprise, or at least shorten the flowering period.

Of course, the warmer it is in the room, the faster the bloom will be over. For this reason, the amaryllis should not necessarily be placed on the mantelpiece. If the vase is placed in a slightly cooler, rarely heated room (but not cooler than 15 °C), flowering can be prolonged. With regard to the effect of temperature, the following should be noted:

• Pack amaryllis well during transport and protect from the cold
• Do not place the vase in the draught (especially when opening windows)
• Avoid temperatures below 15 °C
• Do not place in rooms that are too warm or on the fireplace/stove – excessive heat shortens the flowering period
• Amaryllis in the vase is best placed in a slightly cooler, only infrequently heated room

Did you know that there are numerous ways to propagate amaryllis? We present some of them in our special article.