Forcing Amaryllis and Paperwhite Narcissus for the Holidays

You probably know me well enough by now to know that I am certain no special occasion is complete without flowers. All of the holidays we celebrate in the darkest and coldest time of the year are no exception.

In fact, winter holidays are the time of year when we need flowers the most.

Amaryllis that you force into bloom yourself create a dramatic statement for your holiday celebrations

One of my favorite ways to elevate the holidays is to force Amaryllis bulbs right now so that they are in full magnificent bloom by the time we are ready to celebrate in December.

Breaking dormancy and waking up your bulbs

Unless you purchase bulbs that have already started growing, you will need to help them wake up from their dormant cycle.

Amaryllis were originally native to Africa and modern hybrids can live outside year round in warm climates. It is important to remember that they like to be warm. I always water mine with warm water throughout their life cycle and stick to that plan when getting the plants going.

Set your bulb with the root end in a tray of warm water overnight.

Pot it up so the bottom third is in the soil and the rest of the bulb is popping up above. Then you wait. Put it in a warm place and do not water it again until you begin to see green growth. If you water before it wakes up, the bulb will rot.

The process can take some time. So be patient. Some bulbs are harder to wake up than others.

Where to get bulbs

Since they are so gorgeous for holidays and since they make such a nice gift, Amaryllis are pretty easy to find this time of year. You can even pick up very inexpensive starter kits from a hardware store.

The bigger the bulb, the bigger the show is a good rule of thumb. Hardware store bulbs are fine. But if you want something truly stunning, or even a bulb that sends up multiple flower stems, you’ll want to shop around.

You can order them online from the best Dutch bulb brokers like Dutch Grown or Van Engelen

My pal Theresa at Fiddler’s Ridge in Potlatch ID always stocks a nice selection. I recommend making a run up there if you can.

Here at Melliflora, we stock bulbs, starter kits and tabletop gardens for the winter holidays too. I source mine early in the season to get the best product possible. You can DM me to see what we have on hand or come visit us at a Winter Market at the 1912 Center between now and Christmas.

How to care for your Amaryllis so it blooms again next year.

Some of the best bulbs can be a bit of an investment. But, if you care for them, you can keep them blooming seasonally for years to come.

You want to help your bulb build energy for next year. Pruning off any bloom that is even a little past its prime will go a long way toward that goal.

Trim blooms the moment they begin to fade so the plant keeps its energy focused on the bulb. Cut the entire stem at the base once all the flowers have finished.

Once it is warm enough outside to plant tomatoes, put your pot outdoors for the summer and let it grow out green leaves. You can leave it outside until the first frost nips it back.

Bring it in at that time. Clean up any dead or dying foliage. Take the bulb out of its pot and tuck it away in a cool dark place, like a basement, for about 8 weeks.

Then you can start the process all over again.

How about paperwhites?

Paperwhite narcissus are super easy to force into bloom for the holidays and they are one of my favorites. Their snowy white blooms and delicate fragrance bring luxury and elegance to all the winter celebrations.

They are super easy to grow. Much easier than Amaryllis, so I encourage you to give it a try even if you are inexperienced. Paperwhites are an easy win.

You can pot them up in soil, give them a little drink of water, pop them in a sunny window, and let them go.

They are also easy to force in nothing but water. Many people like to fill the bottom third of a glass cylinder vase with beach glass, marbles, or smooth pebbles. Snuggle the bulbs into the stones and fill the glass with water just to the level of the bottom of the bulbs.

They will take it from there. How easy is that?

One issue with paperwhites is that they can grow very tall and will sometimes fall over.

I like to keep them a little shorter and it is pretty simple to stunt their growth.

Vodka is the secret sauce. Once the bulbs put our green growth, mix 1 part vodka to 7 parts water either to water your bulbs in a pot or to add to your forcing vase. You can just use regular Isopropyl alcohol if you don’t keep things like vodka in your home.

Using this technique, they will bloom just as beautifully, but on shorter more manageable stems.

Unlike amaryllis, it is not worth saving the bulbs to try again. Just enjoy the show then toss it all in your compost when they have finished.

Nothing says Christmas quite like snowy white and fragrant Paperwhites.

I hope you have some fun making your home extra festive this year by decorating with living Amaryllis and Paperwhites - or by giving them away as a gift. Y

Either way, you can’t go wrong.