The Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) is a bulbous plant celebrated for its impressive, trumpet-shaped blooms. While these flowers naturally appear in late winter or early spring, many growers manipulate the plant’s life cycle to achieve a specific holiday bloom. Forcing an Amaryllis to rebloom for Christmas requires a disciplined, multi-stage process starting immediately after the previous year’s flowers fade. Success depends entirely on ensuring the bulb stores sufficient energy during its active growth phase, followed by a mandatory period of rest.
Caring for the Plant After Initial Flowering
Once the flowers have wilted, the focus must shift to maximizing the bulb’s energy storage for the next season. Cut the spent flower stalk down to about one inch above the bulb, but preserve the remaining long, strap-like leaves. These leaves are the plant’s food factories, engaging in photosynthesis to replenish carbohydrates depleted during flowering. Removing the leaves prematurely prevents the bulb from absorbing the necessary energy required to form the next flower bud.
The potted Amaryllis should be moved to a location that receives bright light, such as a sunny windowsill. This active growing season typically lasts from late winter through summer. Treat the plant like a regular houseplant, watering whenever the top inch of soil feels dry. Consistent care in this post-bloom phase determines the size and quality of the following year’s bloom.
Maximizing Bulb Energy During Summer
The spring and summer months are the most important phase for successful reblooming, as the bulb must accumulate energy reserves. Providing optimal light exposure is paramount. Once the danger of frost has passed, move the potted bulb outdoors to a partially shaded spot or a location receiving morning sun. If kept indoors, the plant needs the brightest window available to support vigorous leaf growth and energy production.
During this active growth period, a consistent fertilization regimen is required because potted soil has limited nutrients. Apply a balanced, water-soluble houseplant fertilizer (such as 10-10-10 or 10-20-15) every two to four weeks. Phosphorus encourages strong root development and flower production. Consistent watering is necessary to keep the soil evenly moist, ensuring the leaves can effectively photosynthesize and transport sugars down to the bulb.
Starting the Dormancy Period
To force a Christmas bloom, the Amaryllis needs an induced rest period, or dormancy, starting in late summer or early fall (around September). This rest is necessary to initiate the formation of the flower bud within the bulb. Dormancy is triggered by gradually withholding water, signaling to the plant that its growing season is over.
As watering stops, the leaves will naturally yellow and die back, signaling the bulb is entering its resting phase. Once the foliage is completely dry, remove it. Store the bulb, still in its pot, in a cool, dark location where temperatures remain consistently between 50°F and 60°F. This cool environment and absence of water must be maintained for a minimum of six to eight weeks to ensure the necessary chilling period to reset the blooming cycle.
The Critical Countdown to Christmas Bloom
The final stage involves calculating the time needed to wake the bulb so the bloom coincides with Christmas. Amaryllis bulbs generally take about six to eight weeks from the time they are roused from dormancy until they flower. To target a Christmas Day bloom, retrieve the bulb from its cool storage location in early to mid-November.
Upon retrieval, move the bulb to a warm, brightly lit area, ideally where temperatures hover around 70°F to 75°F. At this point, scrape off the top layer of old soil and replace it with fresh potting mix, or repot the bulb entirely. Resume watering minimally, keeping the soil slightly moist until new growth, usually the flower stalk, begins to emerge. If the flower stalk appears to be growing too quickly, moving the pot to a slightly cooler location will slow the growth rate, allowing for fine-tuning of the bloom timing.