Asked on May 11, 2012

When to transplant amaryllis?

Lisa C
by Lisa C

I have 2 hand-me-down bulbs that were planted about 4 years ago & have multiplied even though they wintered in the ground.


I am wondering if I should transplant the amaryllis in the fall or dig them up and replant them next March in early spring.

How to transplant amaryllis

  12 answers
  • Walter Reeves Walter Reeves on May 11, 2012
    I'd leave the foliage on as long as possible. When it turns brown you can transplant.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on May 12, 2012
    I agree that waiting until the foliage turns brown is key to successful transplanting. That's true of most bulbs.
  • Linda Q Linda Q on May 12, 2012
    I let mine get brown after blooming, trim them down to the ground and leve them there. They multiply.
  • Sharron W Sharron W on May 12, 2012
    If you want to transplant then fall would be the right time to do so....
  • Lisa C Lisa C on Feb 10, 2013
    Unfortunately due to 2 deaths in the family I was never able to transplant the bulbs. Now I have some bulbs which are actually showing about 1/3 of their tops above the mulch line. What should I do? Dig up and plant in spring or transplant now?
  • Sharron W Sharron W on Feb 11, 2013
    I think at this point I'd wait until after they bloom....
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Feb 11, 2013
    If I understand correctly from your original post the plants are in the ground and seem to be doing fine. If you want to transplant them, I agree with Sharron that you should wait until after they bloom.
  • Lisa C Lisa C on Feb 11, 2013
    Thanks, I will pile up dirt and then mulch over the tops of the bulbs which have broken through the surface.
  • Diane Miller Diane Miller on May 06, 2015
    You must live in the South. I am in Southwestern Ontario, there for Amaryllis would not survive the winter here. However I read some articles saying to plant them in their pot outside when weather permitted and or change the pot only after the original pot cracks. Unless you are talking about another plant that is similar, I have Naked Ladies (AKA Armadillos. Leaves turn brown and die then a few weeks later a single stock comes up and Pink Flower ( looks like Lily's)
  • Glenda Mangan Glenda Mangan on Sep 06, 2015
    #lisac in the south they are refered to as Crim lilies, & in rare places you'll find dark pink one as well as the stripped. dig them anytime they are very hardy. the bigger the plant the deeper the bulb will be, & some of the bulbs will be huge, like a basket ball. i have seen them come back even if the top of bulb gets broken off.
  • Anna M.S. Anna M.S. on Jun 27, 2016
    A great-nephew accidentally cut one bulb in half/at a slant. I thought I'd lost the whole plant, but last spring, I had a red bloom! The amaryllis is doing just fine on it's own in the ground.
  • Mogie Mogie on Oct 11, 2023

    Amaryllis can be planted anytime, depending on the source, but is best transplanted during the winter months. Amaryllis is sun- and shade-tolerant, but does best in light shade such as under pine trees. In heavy shade, they flower poorly; leaves may yellow in full sun.