Forced Amaryllis Bulbs for Indoor Winter Bloom

Pot amaryllis bulbs from October through early December and most will bloom six to ten weeks later, which puts flowers on the table from late November through February. Plant the bulb in a snug pot with the top third of the bulb above the soil, water once, then wait for green growth before watering again. No chilling is needed, which is why amaryllis is the easiest bulb to force indoors.

Want flowers for a specific week in December? Count back about eight weeks and stagger a few bulbs two weeks apart so something is always opening.

Pick the right bulb

Bulb size predicts flower count. Bigger bulbs, sold by circumference in centimeters, put up more stalks and more flowers.

• 26 cm and up: usually two or more stalks, four to six flowers each.
• 24 cm: often one or two stalks. Fine for a gift.
• Small or bargain bulbs: may give one stalk, sometimes none the first year.

Look for firm, heavy bulbs with no soft spots or mold. Dry roots at the base are normal. Waxed amaryllis bulbs, sold dipped in colored wax, bloom with no soil or water at all, but they are one-season decorations; the bulb cannot grow roots and is usually discarded afterward.

How to pot an amaryllis

1. Choose a pot about 1 to 2 inches wider than the bulb, with a drainage hole. Amaryllis likes to be snug. A heavy clay pot keeps a top-heavy stalk from tipping.
2. Soak the roots in lukewarm water for an hour or two if they look dry.
3. Use regular indoor potting mix. Set the bulb so the top third, the neck and shoulders, sits above the mix.
4. Water once, thoroughly, and let it drain.
5. Wait. Water again only when the top inch of mix is dry, until you see a bud or leaves. Wet mix and no roots is how bulbs rot.

Light and temperature while it grows

Put the pot in the brightest window you have at normal room temperature, around 65 to 70°F. Warmth speeds growth; a cooler room slows it and makes for sturdier stalks. Turn the pot a quarter turn every few days because the stalk leans toward light.

Once buds show color, move the plant out of direct sun to a slightly cooler spot. Flowers last noticeably longer, often two to three weeks, at 60 to 65°F. Tall stalks benefit from a thin stake slid in beside the bulb, not through it.

After the flowers fade

Amaryllis can bloom again next winter if you treat it like a garden plant after the show.

1. Cut off faded flowers, then cut the stalk a couple of inches above the bulb when it yellows. Keep the leaves.
2. Grow it on in a sunny window, watering when the top inch is dry and feeding monthly with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. In spring, the pot can go outside in part sun once nights stay above 50°F.
3. Rest it. In late summer or early fall, stop watering and move the pot somewhere cool and dark, roughly 50 to 55°F, for eight to ten weeks. Leaves will yellow; trim them off.
4. Restart. Bring it back to warmth and light, top-dress with fresh mix, and water once. A new bud usually follows in several weeks.

Pets and gift plants

Amaryllis bulbs, leaves, and flowers are toxic to cats and dogs according to the ASPCA, and the bulb is the most concentrated part. Keep pots out of reach of pets that chew plants. If a pet eats part of one, call your veterinarian or a pet poison control line.

Zone and timing notes

Indoors, zone does not matter. Outdoors, amaryllis is hardy in roughly Zones 8 to 10, so gardeners there can plant spent gift bulbs in the garden in spring where they will bloom in late spring in later years. Everywhere else, keep it a pot plant.

Bottom line

Pot amaryllis from October into early December, top third exposed, in a snug pot. Water once, wait for growth, give it bright light, and expect flowers in six to ten weeks. Keep the leaves growing afterward, rest it cool and dry in late summer, and the same bulb can bloom again.

Related reading

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• How to bring houseplants indoors without bringing in pests
• Grow lights for seed starting indoors
• Moving citrus and tropicals indoors for winter

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