FORCING AMARYLLIS & PAPERWHITES INDOORS
Yes, we know Christmas is a long way off, but it’s not to early to talk about Christmas flowers! If you want to beautiful amaryllis and paperwhite flowers to be part of your Christmas decorations, now is the time to get started.
Amaryllis and paperwhites are an excellent addition to your holiday decor thanks to their ethereal beauty, but they also herald in the change in light that signifies the beginning of our ascent to spring. The huge star-shaped blossoms of amaryllis and their long sword-like leaves bring a vibrant sense of life to a room in the depths of winter. Likewise, the beautiful small white flowers of paperwhites remind us of those cheerful earliest daffodils of spring.
Paperwhites and amaryllis are technically spring bulbs. Paperwhites are native to the Mediterranean, and amaryllis are native to Brazil and the Andes Mountains. They’ve both become popular Christmas plants because of their beautiful flowers, vibrant colors, and in the case of most paperwhites, their fabulous fragrance.
HOW TO FORCE AMARYLLIS AND PAPERWHITES
In their natural environment, amaryllis and paperwhites bloom in spring. To get them to bloom for Christmas, you have to trick them a bit, basically bringing them out of dormancy early.
Here’s how to force your amaryllis and paperwhite bulbs.
AMARYLLIS
Amaryllis need a period of dormancy before they can bloom. Potting them up and watering them in late September to early October breaks their dormancy and starts the growing process. They don’t need to be chilled, but they should sit somewhere dark, cool, and dry for 8-10 weeks over the summer. You can keep your amaryllis bulbs and have Christmas blooms for many years if you keep them in the proper conditions for adequate dormancy.
To get your amaryllis to bloom in time for Christmas, you need to get it started in mid- to late-September or early October.
If the roots of your amaryllis bulb are dried out, set the bulb, roots down, in a shallow dish of lukewarm water to soak for a couple of hours.
Fill your planting container with a few inches of good potting soil. A plastic or terra cotta pot that is only 1-2 inches wider than the bulb is perfect.
Set your bulb in the center of your pot, and add more soil around the outside. Though it may seem odd, it’s essential not to cover the bulb! About ⅓ of the bulb should be exposed above the soil.
Water your bulb, and set it somewhere warm and bright. A spot near a south-facing window is best.
Turn your amaryllis every few days to keep it growing straight up instead of leaning toward the window.
Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, and wait.
First, your amaryllis will put out a couple of leaves. Once it puts up its bloom stalk, you may need to add support. A bamboo stick or two with a soft plant tie will do the trick. The flowers are heavy, so you don’t want the flower stalk to break or fall over.
PAPERWHITES
Paperwhites are fantastic because they’re so easy to grow, they smell great, and their namesake white flowers are just so pretty. Paperwhites are a member of the daffodil family. You can force paperwhites in 2 different ways. If you have kids, it can be an exciting experiment to start two batches of paperwhites and observe the differences in how they grow using each method.
Here are the different ways to force Paperwhite bulbs.
METHOD ONE: WATER & PEBBLES
Choose a deep container–glass is fun because you get to watch the roots develop–and fill it with 2-3 inches of pebbles or decorative glass stones.
Add water till it’s just below the top of the stones.
Place your container somewhere bright and warm.
Set your bulbs on top of the pebbles, pointy end up, and wiggle the bottoms down into the stones a tiny bit to help them stay stable.
Keep an eye on the water level; you’ll want to keep it just at the level of the top stones.
Turn the container every few days to keep them growing straight up and not leaning.
METHOD TWO: POTTING SOIL
Fill a shallow container with 4-5 inches of soil.
Plant the bulbs in the soil, pointy side up, tight against each other, with the tips peeking out above the soil.
Water the soil until it is evenly moist.
Set the container in a sunny window and watch.
Check the soil every few days, water to keep it lightly moist.
When the paperwhites start to put leaves out, begin to rotate the container every few days to help them grow straight instead of leaning toward the window.
If you haven’t started forcing amaryllis or paperwhites yet, why not try it this year! They’re fun to grow, easy to care for, and they leave you with a beautiful reward. We’ve got a great selection right now, so stop by our garden center soon to pick out your favorites.