How to Grow Amaryllis Indoors: Bulb to Bloom in 8 Weeks

Amaryllis is the easiest dramatic houseplant you can grow. A single bulb, a pot, and eight weeks gets you a stem of four to six trumpet flowers up to 25 cm across — in the middle of winter.

Choosing the bulb

Size is everything. Amaryllis bulbs are graded by circumference, and the largest bulbs produce the most stems. Look for bulbs of 30 cm or more in circumference. They should feel heavy and firm with dry, papery outer layers.

Reject any bulb with soft patches, blue-green mould, or a sour smell — those are signs of rot that will spread in the pot.

The right pot

Use a pot only 2–3 cm wider than the bulb on each side. Amaryllis like to be snug; an oversized pot holds excess moisture and invites rot. A heavy pot is worth it, because a tall stem in flower becomes top-heavy fast. Always choose one with drainage holes.

Potting

1. Half-fill the pot with free-draining compost — a mix of two parts potting soil to one part perlite works well.
2. Set the bulb so the top third sits above the soil surface. Burying the neck causes rot.
3. Fill around the bulb, firm gently, and water once until it drains from the base.
4. Do not water again until you see green growth.

Light and temperature

Put the pot in a bright spot at 20–22°C (68–72°F). A south- or west-facing windowsill is ideal. Once the bud is visible and the stem is 10 cm tall, move it slightly cooler — around 18°C — to slow growth and produce a sturdier stem.

Turn the pot a quarter turn every few days. Amaryllis stems lean hard toward light, and rotating keeps them straight.

Watering

This is where most amaryllis die. The rule is simple: soak thoroughly, then let the top 3 cm of soil dry out. Never leave the pot standing in water. During the first few weeks after potting, before roots form, water very sparingly.

Supporting the stem

Stems can reach 60 cm. Insert a slim cane at potting time, not later — pushing a stake into the pot once roots have filled it will damage them. Loop twine loosely around the stem.

Getting a second year of bloom

Most people throw the bulb away. You do not have to.

1. After flowering, cut the flower stem back to 5 cm but leave the leaves.
2. Keep watering and feed every two weeks with a high-potassium fertiliser through summer.
3. Move the pot outdoors once frost has passed, in partial sun.
4. In late summer, stop watering and let the leaves yellow and die back.
5. Store the dry bulb at 13–15°C for eight weeks, then repot and start again.

Common problems

• Stem too short, flowers stuck: too warm too early. Move to a cooler spot.
• Yellow leaves while flowering: usually overwatering or poor drainage.
• No flower, only leaves: bulb too small or not given a proper dormant rest.

See our full range of amaryllis bulbs for single and double varieties.