Last updated on March 2nd, 2022
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One of my favourite plants to grow over the Christmas period inside my home are Amaryllis. I just love the large stunning flowers, the fact that they are available in many different colours, they are so easy to grow and they require very little care. Just a little watering now and again and they are happy.
They prefer to be placed in bright but indirect sunlight, so a sunny windowsill is usually the perfect spot for them. You just need ordinary potting compost and a large enough pot to grow them in.
So personally, I like to grow my Amaryllis in single pots, maybe a small 6-8 inch pot or alternatively, a wide but shallow pot if you want to plant multiple bulbs into one container as it often produces a magnificent show of colour. They also look spectacular when planted in the ground.
When to plant Amaryllis bulbs
If you want them to flower around Christmas time, you need to be planting between mid-October and early November. They usually take around 6-8 weeks from planting to flowering, so if you plant them and then use this time period as a good guide to work out when they will flower. You are then able to plant them so that they flower at a specific time of year.
In my guide below, I will just be planting one of mine in a single pot. As the pot is more of a decorative pot, I am also using a plastic pot and then inserting this into the ceramic pot once it is planted.
You can also use terracotta pots. A pot that has a little weight to it is usually better because it helps keep the plant upright as the Amaryllis can get a little top-heavy once they flower.
How to plant Amaryllis in containers
Step 1
The first thing you need to do is fill enough compost into the bottom of the pot so that the bulb can sit directly on the compost, but the top of the bulb is slightly raised above the top of the pot.
Step 2
With the bulb in place, you need to carefully place more compost around the edge of the bulb, being very careful not to get any soil or moisture into the top of the bulb as this can cause issues with rotting or diseases.
You can also use small stones instead of compost around the edge of the bulb but I personally think that they anchor better with compost although stone could add some extra weight to keep them upright once they start to flower.
Step 3
Once the bulb is planted you can either just leave the surface with compost (as I often do) but if you want to make it more decorative, you can also add a layer of moss or stone to the surface of the soil.
Step 4
That’s it, give it water and then place it in a bright position, maybe a sunny window. You should only need to water it sparingly, maybe once a week once they start to grow.
The pictures below is of the bulb I planted in this guide, looking well!
Read next: Learn more about how to care for Amaryllis in my growing guide here
Planting Amaryllis in specialist Amaryllis vases
You can buy specially designed Amaryllis vases where you can grow them with just water. What you do is place the Amaryllis bulb on top of the vase and then fill it with water so the roots can reach the water. Just be careful to make sure the water does not touch the bulb itself as this can rot the bulb. You also need to keep the water at the same level at all times.
Planting to flowering guide
As previously mentioned, Amaryllis take around 6-8 weeks to flower. Below is a quick guide to help you decide when to plant your Amaryllis bulbs to give you the best chance of them flowering when you want them to.
| When to plant | When they will flower |
| 15 October | 19 November to 10 December |
| 1 November | Between 6 and 27 December |
| 15 November | 20 December to 10 January |
| 1 December | Between 6 and 28 January |
| 15 December | 19 January to 9 February |
| 1 January | Between 6 and 26 February |
| 15 January | 19 February to 12 March |
| 1 February | Between 8 and 29 March |
| 15 February | Between 5 and 26 April |
