How to grow amaryllis bulbs indoors and get them to bloom again

Plant an amaryllis bulb in a pot 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) wider than the bulb. Leave the top third of the bulb above the soil. Water it once, then water only a little until a flower stalk appears. Set it in bright light in a room around 65 to 70°F (18 to 21°C). Most bulbs bloom 6 to 10 weeks after planting. For flowers by Christmas, plant in late October or early November.

Amaryllis is the easiest bulb to grow indoors. The bulb already holds next season’s flower, packed inside. Your job is to wake it up, then keep it fed so it can do it again next year.

Choose a big, firm bulb

The bigger the bulb, the bigger the show. Large bulbs often send up two stalks, sometimes three. Small, cheap bulbs may send up one stalk with fewer flowers.

Squeeze the bulb. It should feel firm and heavy. Skip bulbs with soft spots, mold, or a dried-out base with no roots.

Boxed kits from the garden center or hardware store work fine. They come with a pot and soil. You can see how three popular kits grew in my posts on Red Lion amaryllis, Apple Blossom amaryllis, and white amaryllis.

Waxed amaryllis bulbs need no water or soil. They bloom once from the food stored in the bulb. The wax seals the bulb and most have had their roots cut off, so they seldom bloom again. They make a nice gift. Treat them as a one-season flower.

How to plant an amaryllis bulb

1. Soak the roots in lukewarm water for a few hours. This step is optional, but it helps dry roots wake up.
2. Pick a pot with a drain hole, about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) wider than the bulb. A heavy clay pot helps keep the tall plant from tipping over.
3. Fill the pot partway with a good potting mix.
4. Set the bulb in, roots down, so the top third sits above the rim of the soil.
5. Fill in around the bulb and firm the soil with your fingers.
6. Water once, until water runs out the bottom. Let it drain.
7. Set the pot in a warm, bright spot.

Do not bury the whole bulb. A buried neck stays wet and can rot.

Light and water until it blooms

After the first watering, leave the pot alone until you see a green stalk about 2 inches (5 cm) tall. Too much water before roots and leaves grow can rot the bulb.

Once the stalk is up, water when the top inch (2.5 cm) of soil feels dry. Give it bright light from a sunny window.

The stalk leans toward the light. Turn the pot a quarter turn every few days to keep it straight. Tall stalks can get top-heavy. Push a thin bamboo stake into the soil beside the stalk, not through the bulb. Tie the stalk to it with a loose loop.

Make the flowers last longer

Once the buds open, move the plant out of direct sun to a cooler room, around 60 to 65°F (16 to 18°C). Cooler air makes the blooms last longer. Each stalk carries several large flowers that open over a week or two.

If pollen stains worry you, snip off the yellow, pollen-covered tips in the center of each flower. It does not hurt the plant.

Growing amaryllis in water or pebbles

You can grow an amaryllis in a glass vase with pebbles. Set the bulb on the pebbles and add water until it touches the roots, but keep the base of the bulb above the water. The roots grow down into the water while the bulb stays dry.

This looks lovely on a table. But a bulb grown in water uses up its stored food, so plan on it blooming once.

How to get amaryllis to bloom again

The leaves that grow after the flowers are what feed next year’s bloom. Keep them growing all summer.

1. When the flowers fade, cut the stalk off 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) above the bulb. Leave the leaves.
2. Keep the pot in your sunniest window. Water when the top inch of soil is dry.
3. Feed every two to three weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer at the strength on the label.
4. After your last frost, once nights stay above 50°F (10°C), you can move the pot outside. Start in shade for a week, then give it morning sun. The steps in my post on how to harden off seedlings work for houseplants too.
5. In late August or September, stop watering and stop feeding. Bring the pot in before frost.
6. Let the leaves turn yellow and dry. Cut them off at the neck of the bulb.
7. Store the bulb, in its pot, in a cool, dark, dry place around 50 to 55°F (10 to 13°C) for 8 to 12 weeks. A basement or cool closet works.
8. Bring it back into the light. Scrape off the top inch of old soil and add fresh potting mix. If the bulb has grown, repot it in a pot one size bigger. Water once and start again.

New growth shows up a few weeks after you bring it out. Some bulbs bloom right on schedule. Others take their time.

Why an amaryllis won’t bloom

If you get only leaves, the bulb did not store enough food. These are the most common reasons:

• Not enough sun or fertilizer the summer before.
• Leaves cut off too soon after flowering.
• A rest period that was too short.
• A bulb planted too deep, or kept too wet.

Give it a full season of sun and food, and try again. A big bulb with a good summer behind it seldom fails.

Can amaryllis grow outside?

Amaryllis bulbs (Hippeastrum) can stay in the ground year-round in zones 8 to 10. In colder zones, grow them in pots and bring them in for winter. Check your zone with my guide on how to find your growing zone.

Is amaryllis safe for pets?

No. The ASPCA lists amaryllis as toxic to cats and dogs. The bulb is the most toxic part. Keep the pot where pets cannot dig in it or chew the leaves.

More bulbs and plants for winter

If you enjoy forcing bulbs, try paperwhites next. My guide on forcing paperwhites walks through it, and paperwhites for Christmas covers holiday timing. For other holiday plants, see my guides on poinsettia care and Christmas cactus care.