The knight's star is just as much a part of Christmas as the poinsettia. But not everyone knows how to care for them properly and so the tubers quickly end up in the trash after flowering. You can continue to care wonderfully so that you can enjoy the impressive flowers again next winter and it's really not difficult. We have already told you how to properly care for the plant and what is necessary to produce new flowering. Today it's about whether and when you should repot the amaryllis and how to do it.
Do you have to repot amaryllis?
Many plants live comfortably in the same planting container for several years before needing to be repotted due to lack of space or to replace the old soil. This is not the case with Ritterstern. It needs this care measure annually so that new flowers can be stimulated. It is therefore an important part of amaryllis care after the purchased specimen has flowered, without which you do not need to expect a new flowering phase.
Between the growth phase and the flowering phase in winter, the plant is in the dormant phase. When should you repot the amaryllis, i.e. in which of these three phases? It should be at the end of the dormant phase, after the leaves have withered for a long time and you have allowed the tuber to rest for some time in a cool, dark place. By replanting in fresh soil you also determine to a large extent,when the flower will bloombecause you wake them up from their sleep, so to speak.
Repotting Amaryllis – How to do it right:
The soil, the planter and more precisely its size should be chosen correctly and the process carried out correctly. We explain step by step how you should proceed:
Which potting soil is the best?
Some like it loose and permeable, while others also do well with loamy substrate. And if you repot the amaryllis? Which soil is the best then?
Obtain regular potting soil as well as cactus soil. Then mix both in equal parts.
Planting Knight's Star in a new pot - instructions
You need:
- Your still resting knight's star in the still old earth
- Potting and cactus soil, mixed in a 1:1 ratio
- sharp scissors (gardening shears)
- Pottery shard or other materials for drainage
How to proceed:
- Take the tuber out of the old pot.
- Remove excess soil from the tuber.
- Before you repot the amaryllis, remove any roots that are dead or rotten.
- To ensure that the drainage holes do not become blocked by the substrate over time, a thin drainage layer over them is recommended. It is also enough to simply place a piece of clay over some of the holes.
- Fill the pot halfway with the new substrate. You can reuse the same pot (but then clean it well and possibly disinfect it) or take a new one of the same size.
- Place the tuber on the fresh soil and continue to fill the pot to surround it with soil on the sides as well. At the end, the upper half of the tuber should still be exposed. Press the substrate firmly.
- Water the plant thoroughly to keep the substrate well moistened. Allow excess water to drip off before placing the plant container back on its base.
After you repot the amaryllis, the final step is to bring it out of dormancy. You now have to put the pot in a bright and warm place. The new growth phase now begins for the plant and for this time it ideally needs temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees. Make sure the soil is always moderately moist.
The flower stalk should appear soon. When it reaches a height of around 10 cm, you no longer need to pay too much attention to the potting soil. From now on it is enough if you water the Ritterstern once a week.
Find out how to care for the amaryllis after it has bloomedin this article.
Can you propagate the knight's star?
However! If the care was sufficiently good, it may well happen that the tuber forms offshoots. So if you noticed when you started repotting that the mother tuber had formed small daughter tubers, you can use them to propagate your amaryllis. However, you should not rush into repotting the Amaryllis offshoots, because the timing should be right.
We will explain to you how you can propagate the knight's star and exactly how to do itin this article.
