Amaryllis Bulb Kits at Target 2010

I've been looking forward to the amaryllis bulb kits at Target stores this year for a couple of reasons. The first being the demise of Smith & Hawken & the subsequent purchase of the brand by Target. In past years the larger amaryllis kits enabled me to buy some nice quality bulbs, even if they were a bit overpriced. The smaller, less expensive kits usually consisted of 'Red Lion' or 'Apple Blossom' but at 75% off after the holidays they were mighty tempting. Who cares that you end up with dozens of the same variety when the kits only cost a couple dollars a piece?

I'm not surprised that the Smith & Hawken brand has been revived and they Target is carrying the bulbs again. I am a little disappointed in the selection of the bulbs, both in terms of variety and quality. A few of the plant bulbs I inspected looked like lesser quality bulbs than I'm accustomed to there. I forgot to check for mention of the grower so I can't tell you if the bulbs were Dutch, Israeli, South African or South American grown. I'll update the post in the morning after I take a closer look at the packaging. The larger kits were over priced, if you're spending that much money on kit it should be something nicer than 'Red Lion.' However, the smaller amaryllis kit was one of the nicer ones I've seen at big box retailers this season. The kits comes with an attractive aluminum pot, (no pre-drilled drainage hole) a single bulb and some potting medium. If I'm not mistaken this kit came out to $4.99 plus tax. It is a lot more attractive than the amaryllis kits at competing big box stores in the same price rage that give you a generic plastic pot. If you're looking to give an amaryllis bulb kit as a holiday gift this season I'd go with this one.

Amaryllis Bulb Kits on Sale Now

A visitor to this blog Emailed to ask when Amaryllis bulb kits usually go on sale. Based on the question, I think the visitor hasn't been to many garden centers within the past two weeks. Usually the week after Halloween is when you'll spot the first signs of Amaryllis kits appear in big box stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, Wal-Mart and Target. I visited a couple of these stores today to double-check and there were several of the kits on shelves ready for sale. I also stopped at a couple of independent garden centers near me and they too had Amaryllis bulbs for sale. Most of these bulbs were loose bulbs and two-three times more expensive than the kits, for some of the same varieties. You figure it out.

If you're looking to buy some Amaryllis bulb kits for yourself or to give as gifts get to these stores now. As we get closer to Thanksgiving the bulbs will begin to break dormancy because of the warm temperatures in these stores. Also, savvy bulb hunters know to inspect the bulbs in kits to make sure they're not already awake, damaged or diseased. If you wait too long to buy your bulbs you'll end up picking up the bulbs the rest of us didn't want.

When you bring one of these kits home if you decide you're not ready to plant the bulb, keep it in a cool and dark location to keep it from breaking dormancy. In the past I've kept bulbs I wanted to bloom later in the winter in an unheated room or put them in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator.