Tips for Growing Amaryllis Bulbs Indoors – an Inexpensive Gift Idea for the Winter Months

Every Winter around Christmas time they sell Amaryllis Bulbs in the stores. Usually for only about $5 you can get a kit with soil, a bulb and a pot. I usually prefer to put mine in a clay pot rather than the usual plastic ones provided. I feel that plants prefer the clay and I like for the pot to have some drainage. Another reason that I prefer a clay pot is that Amaryllis can get a little top heavy, and a plastic pot does not add any weight to help stabilize your plant.

Amaryllis comes in a variety of colors and sizes. I always open the box and look at the bulb to make sure it looks healthy. Sometimes they can start growing in the box and while a little growth is fine, you do not want to buy one that has grown too much as it will not straighten out. Some plants have more than one stem which means more than one Flower. If you take a peek inside the box before you buy it, you should be able to see if the one you have has more than one bud coming out of the bulb. With Amaryllis, a bigger bulb almost always gives a better result.

All you have to do is plant the bulb in the soil so that about 1/3 of the is sticking out of the soil. From the time you plant your bulb it only takes a few weeks before it starts to bloom. Keep watered and put in a sunny spot to encourage growth. Once your Amaryllis starts to bloom remove from the sunny location and this will prolong the bloom time.

After the Amaryllis is finished blooming it is possible to get it to bloom again the next winter, but you have to let it finish growing and let the leaves die back on their own. Some people will plant them in their garden in the spring and then let them stay in the ground until they die back in the fall. I have done this before by digging it up in the fall before the freeze and putting it in my garage which gets cold but does not freeze. Around Christmas you can bring the bulb in the house and try again.

I love being able to enjoy something as beautiful as the Amaryllis blooming inside in the winter. It helps the gardener in me to get through those colder months until I can once again get back in the garden.