Garden

[Puzzle Piece]

When do I plant my Amaryllis bulb so that it can bloom for the Holidays?

[geezerette]

According to Mr. Google's AI:

"To ensure amaryllis blooms for Christmas, plant the bulbs about 6 to 8 weeks before the holiday. This usually means planting them in early to mid-November. Staggering plantings by a week or two can help extend the blooming period throughout the winter."

[gardenman]

It's a bit hit and miss. It's not hard to miss it by a week (or more) one way or the other. I tended more to let them do what they wanted and just enjoyed the flowers whenever they showed up. Often March or April for me. Some of mine were over twenty years old and still going strong. 

[Mary Bailey]

@gardenman   That's intriguing.  I always thought Amaryllis bulbs where one and done.  I had one sprout a second time, but no flower.  I gave up after that fail.

[gardenman]

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@Mary Bailey wrote:

@gardenman   That's intriguing.  I always thought Amaryllis bulbs where one and done.  I had one sprout a second time, but no flower.  I gave up after that fail.

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I'd put mine under lights until the spring and then move them outdoors for the spring/summer/early fall until the foliage died off. Then I'd move them inside to a cool, dry spot for six weeks or so until new growth started, then start watering them again. Depending on the variety, some would make pups, small bulblets that you could harvest and repot, and others would just keep making the main bulb bigger. 

A couple of mine came from the old Almart chain (not Walmart, Almart was a whole different store) in Delaware (1970s-80s?) so, they were old plants. Amaryllis are about as perennial a bulb as you can get. They live just about forever. A few of mine were probably eight inches in diameter. Two, three or more flowering stems when they flowered. I never worried about when they'd flower. I'd just enjoy them when they did.