How To Remove Wax From Amaryllis Bulbs [Quickly & Easily]

Wax-covered Amaryllis make convenient gifts for people who love flowers.  The wax keeps the bulbs sealed, so they won’t need to be watered. If you’ve received these flowers and wonder if they can be replanted, we’ve got you covered. We researched an easy way to remove the wax covering the Amaryllis bulb to help you out.

Amaryllis bulb covered in wax is intended to be thrown away after blooming. However, you can replant the bulb after removing the wax. To remove it, remove the wire inserted into the bottom of the bulb. Get a sharp knife and cut a "V" into the edge of the wax, and carefully peel it off.  

This is the easiest way to remove the wax from the Amaryllis bulb. We will discuss the details of this process throughout this post. We will also give you steps to prep this plant for re-blooming and how to care for it. Continue reading to get more details on this topic.

amaryllis red white flowers beautiful flowering, How To Remove Wax From Amaryllis Bulbs [Quickly & Easily]

Saving The Waxed Amaryllis Bulb

Waxed amaryllis bulbs are marketed as “self-watering” plants. They are perfect holiday gifts and décor. To create these blubs, the roots of the plants are removed and then the bulb is covered in wax. A metal wire is then inserted into the bulb to serve as a stand for the plant. The plant will grow no roots, but the wax is supposed to keep the plants "watered."

Although they look nice when they bloom, waxing the amaryllis bulb hinders the plant from living beyond its blooming period. Of course, it'll be difficult for this plant to survive for a long period without water. Naturally, it gets discarded after blooming.  However, when gifted waxed amaryllis, you can save and repot it.

How To Get Rid Of The Wax Covering The Bulb

When the amaryllis has bloomed and turned yellowish, remove the wax and replant the bulb. Getting rid of the wax covering the bulb is pretty easy to do.

First, remove the wire attached to the bulb's bottom. The wire was inserted to make the plant stand on its own. Some don’t have wires, though, so you can proceed to remove the wax.

Get a knife and cut a small “V” into the edge to remove the wax. Peel the wax from the incision you've made. It should come off easily. Sometimes the wax will come off in small pieces while some in one big piece. You’ll see a bulb resembling an onion when the wax is removed. Try to leave the brown layer, which looks like brown onion skin, covering the bulb, and then replant this part.

How Long Will A Waxed Amaryllis Bulb Bloom?

amaryllis bouquet standing on old vintage

As previously mentioned, even though these plants are marketed as self-sustaining, they cannot endure without water forever. When placed in a well-lit area, you can enjoy a waxed amaryllis bloom for 3-4 weeks. It'll produce one or two flower stalks, with a maximum of four flowers per stalk. 

The plant needs sunlight but not direct sunlight since it withers fast. Moreover, it'll yield more blooms if it's out of the wax encasing and planted into your garden or a pot.

How To Repot An Amaryllis Bulb

You have freed the amaryllis bulb from the wax it was encased in, but now what? It is time to bring new life to it. Repotting amaryllis will let you have indoor decor that will last longer than the waxed one.  Not only that, you can repot the bulb as well to give to someone else as a gift. Either way, placing the bulbs in the pot is better to let them bloom for a long period. 

Let The Bulbs Grow Roots

Most of the time, you won't see roots after removing the wax casing. The roots are the main casualty in waxed amaryllis bulbs.  When you don't see roots, don't repot the bulb.

Look for a flat container and lay paper towels on top of it. Wet the paper towel but do not drench it with water.

Next, place the bulb on top of the wet paper towel. The bottom part should be moist. Place the bulb somewhere sunny but not under direct sunlight. Make sure that you keep the towel damp, so check it now and then.

White roots will start to appear in around four weeks.  

amaryllis bulbs pots waxed close up

Select A Larger Pot

The next step is selecting a pot about 2 inches bigger than the bulb. Now that the wax case has been removed, the bulb will still grow, so it's better to get a bigger home. If you are planning to gift the repotted amaryllis bulb, you may get a decorative pot.

Click here to see this pot on Amazon.

When you see some roots sprouting, it is time to place the bulbs into the pot.

Fill The Pot With Soil

Fill the pot with soil halfway into the rim. Next, set the bulb into the soil with the pointed end at the top. The soil should be below the "neck" of the bulb. Moreover, you can use regular potting soil when repotting the bulbs. 

You may add more soil as needed.

Water The Plant

Lastly, water the plants after repotting until excess moisture is drained from the bottom. Be sure that the exposed portion of the bulb is not drenched in water, as it may rot. You should water it regularly but just enough to keep the soil moist. 

After repotting, the plant needs sunlight. This will help store energy on its leave for another bloom. 

What Is The Dormancy Period Of Amaryllis?

red waxed amaryllis on white background

Amaryllis grows through the spring and summer. However, it is a perennial plant for hardiness zones 8-10. Dormancy means the bulb is dried, and the leaves become yellow and die. During the dormancy period, it is not recommended to cut the leaves. The leave and stalks will serve as food storage for the plant so they'll be ready for another bloom.

Some force the amaryllis bulb to bloom by giving it at least two months of dormancy. This will create winter blooms. 

Is It Normal For Amaryllis To Have No Flower?

If your amaryllis has only stalks or leaves and no flowers, there is something wrong with it. As mentioned in the previous section, amaryllis should bloom as scheduled, but you can let it go dormant for a specific period. However, when you try to force it to bloom too quickly, it won't give you flowers. 

The plant needs to rest, too, and if you don't allow it to regain its energy and leave it in a dark place, you'll only be left with leaves and no blooms. 

Can Amaryllis Live Long?

There are a lot of varieties of Amaryllis that produce different colored flowers. They are perfect accents to center tables because of the eye-catching blooms they produce.

These plants are native to Africa. In the 1700s, Amaryllis bulbs were brought to Europe. The plants commonly available now are hybrids native to Central and South America.

Amaryllis can produce flowers for years, planted in pots with extra space or planted to the ground. It is also required to be repotted every 3 or 4 years.  

Final Thoughts

amaryllis red white flowers beautiful flowering

Amaryllis bulbs are often encased in waxed to serve as gifts. Removing the roots and replacing them with wax makes this plant an ideal present and centerpiece decoration. However, no matter how beautiful it looks, they'll only live for a certain period when the bulbs are wrapped with wax.

Although amaryllis is often advertised as a self-watering plant, there is no such thing. A plant needs soil and water to grow. To save amaryllis bulbs, you should remove the wax and repot it. 

Removing the wax is fairly easy, and the details were discussed throughout the post. Moreover, steps in repotting the bulb were also talked about in the previous sections.

It is hoped you find this post helpful. Check out these other posts for related topics:

When To Divide Amaryllis Bulbs In Florida [And How To]

Should You Deadhead Amaryllis? [And How To]

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