Blooming Bulbs | Great Gifts for Holidays!

Paperwhites

Fall just started. It's a great time to think about blooming bulbs as gifts for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Timing is everything. If you start now, you will have beautiful blooms to give as gifts . Here is a Blooming Bulb planning calendar:

October

• Start Paperwhites (4–6 weeks to bloom) → Ready for Thanksgiving gifts.

• Begin chilling tulips, hyacinths, crocus, daffodils (10–14 weeks required).

• Plant Amaryllis indoors (6–10 weeks to bloom) for early December flowers.

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November

• Start Paperwhites by mid-November → Ready for Christmas gifts.

• Amaryllis planted now → Ready for New Year’s blooms.

• Keep tulips/hyacinths/crocus in the fridge for required chill.

December

• Start Paperwhites early December → Ready for New Year’s gifts.

• Amaryllis started now → Ready for Valentine’s Day.

• Tulips/hyacinths/crocus continue chilling.

January

• Remove tulips, hyacinths, crocus, daffodils from chilling after 10–14 weeks.

  • Pot them up and bring to bright, cool room → Bloom in 3–4 weeks.

• Perfect for Valentine’s Day gifts.

February

• Continue forcing tulips/hyacinths for late winter and early spring gifts.

• Paperwhites can still be started for quick late-winter color.

• Amaryllis started now → Blooms by April/Easter season.

If you want blooming bulbs for the upcoming holidays from (Thanksgiving to Easter), keep in mind:

• Thanksgiving → Start paperwhites mid-October.

• Christmas → Start paperwhites & amaryllis mid-November.

• New Year’s → Start paperwhites early December; amaryllis in November.

• Valentine’s Day → Start amaryllis in December; chill tulips/hyacinths in October–December, pot in January.

• Easter (March/April) → Start amaryllis in January; force tulips/hyacinths in late winter.

Wishing you beautiful blooms from your bulbs.