The Edit — Home & Garden
Amaryllis for Christmas: When to Plant for a December Bloom
An amaryllis bulb usually flowers 6 to 8 weeks after potting, so a Christmas bloom starts in the first week of November. A second bulb potted a few days later covers one that runs early or late.
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No bulb here was grown or tested. This page reads university extension guidance and the bulb sellers’ specifications against what owners report, as How we choose describes.
Amaryllis Picotee bulb, 28-30 cm
Good fit You have a pot and potting mix and want the biggest bulb
Not for You want a gift that arrives ready to plant
Amaryllis Apple Blossom growing kit with pot and saucer
Good fit A first amaryllis, with nothing else to buy
Not for You want a heavy pot that will not tip under the flowers
Plant 6 to 8 weeks before the day you want flowers
Iowa State University Extension puts an amaryllis at about 6 to 8 weeks from planting to bloom, and says to plant in early to mid-November for Christmas. Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center gives a wider 4 to 8 weeks for bulbs potted in early to mid-November.
Count back from the date that matters, and aim for the early end of the window. A bulb that opens a week early still carries its flowers on the day.
| Flowers wanted by | Pot the bulb between |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving, 26 November | 1 and 15 October |
| Christmas Day, 25 December | 30 October and 13 November |
| New Year’s Day, 1 January | 6 and 20 November |
Stagger 2 or 3 bulbs a few days apart for a sure date
Iowa State’s advice for a Christmas bloom is to pot 1 bulb in early November and a second several days later. Bulbs vary, and so do the rooms they grow in, so 2 bulbs turn a guess into a window.
A Cornell Cooperative Extension master gardener goes further for bulbs woken from dormancy, planting 1 a week for 3 weeks from 1 October. The amaryllis gift kits compared here include several that ship as single bulbs, which makes staggering them easy.
A 28 to 30 cm bulb carries more flowers than a 26 cm one
Amaryllis bulbs are sold by circumference in centimetres, and size decides how much you get. Clemson says a 30 to 32 cm bulb usually sends up 2 flower stalks with 3 to 4 flowers each, and older, larger bulbs up to 3 stalks.
The Daylily Nursery Picotee is sold as a 28 to 30 cm bulb, and its seller states 6 to 8 weeks from bulb to bloom. Garden State Bulb’s gift kit, by comparison, states a 26 to 28 cm bulb.
Amaryllis Picotee bulb, 28-30 cm
A single 28 to 30 cm bare bulb, white petals edged in red, stated 6 to 8 weeks from bulb to bloom.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Bulb | 28 to 30 cm circumference |
|---|---|
| Stated timing | 6 to 8 weeks, bulb to bloom |
| Includes | Bulb only |
Owners describe a fast-growing bulb that flowers within weeks of potting, with some reporting 2 stalks of 6 blooms. They call it good value and healthy on arrival.
The condition of the bulb on delivery is where reports divide. It is a bare bulb, so it needs a pot and mix of your own.
Buy it if
- You have a pot and potting mix and want the biggest bulb
Don't buy it if
- You want a gift that arrives ready to plant
Pot it snug, water once, then wait for green
Clemson’s method is a pot 1 to 2 inches wider than the bulb, with drainage holes, and a thorough watering after planting. Then wait a week before watering again, and keep the soil only slightly moist until growth starts.
Warmth and light drive the timing. Clemson recommends 70 to 75°F until the stalk is growing and at least 4 hours of direct sun, then 65°F once it flowers, which makes the blooms last longer. Turn the pot every few days so the stalk grows straight.
Iowa State leaves the upper half of the bulb above the soil line. The Cornell writer sets two-thirds below it. Either way, the neck of the bulb stays dry.
Amaryllis Apple Blossom growing kit with pot and saucer
An Apple Blossom bulb, pink and white, packed with a plastic pot, saucer and potting mix.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Variety | Apple Blossom, pink and white |
|---|---|
| Includes | Bulb, plastic pot, saucer, potting mix |
| Shipping | Seller warns against below 32°F or above 95°F |
The Apple Blossom kit arrives with a plastic pot, saucer and potting mix, so it can be planted the day it lands. One owner counted 15 blossoms from 1 bulb, and others report a second stalk after the first.
The complaint that recurs is a bulb that arrives soft or rotten. Clemson suggests a heavier pot than plastic once the flowers open, because the stalk gets top-heavy.
Buy it if
- A first amaryllis, with nothing else to buy
Don't buy it if
- You want a heavy pot that will not tip under the flowers
A waxed bulb flowers without water, once
Waxed amaryllis are bulbs dipped in coloured wax, and Clemson notes they need no water or soil. They bloom on the stored food inside the bulb, which makes them the easiest gift for someone who does not garden.
The cost comes after the flowers. Iowa State does not recommend saving waxed bulbs, because the bulb shrinks inside its shell with no way to rebuild its reserves. Peeled and potted with care, some flower again a year later, and some never do.
Keep it growing after it flowers for a bloom next year
Clemson’s advice is to cut each stalk off just above the bulb as the flowers fade, then keep the plant in a sunny window. Feed it twice a month with a liquid houseplant fertiliser once the leaves are growing.
To bring it back into flower, Clemson says to stop watering and feeding for 8 to 10 weeks. The Cornell writer does the same from mid-September, in a dark place at 45 to 55°F for 6 to 8 weeks, and wakes the bulb on 1 October. A bulb kept indoors in a dim room may need extra light, and grow lights are judged on PPFD, not watts.