Narcissus is a family of
hardy bulbs which includes daffodils and paperwhites. These are hardy bulbs
which are planted in the late fall and will bloom in the spring. All narcissus
can be forced to bloom indoors, but paperwhites are the easiest because they
don’t require a long cooling period in order to bloom.
All you’ll need is a
container and some rock, sand or marbles. Paperwhites can be grown in soil,
sand, rocks or marbles. Because paperwhites are generally discarded after they
bloom, the planting medium doesn’t have to supply nutrients. When you’re buying
bulbs, remember that all paperwhites have a scent.
Zivas have the strongest
scent, while Inbals are more lightly scented. Look for the labels so you’ll get
the ones you want. Get enough bulbs to fill your container. The display will
look better and it will help keep the flowers from falling over.
Place a couple
of inches of rocks, sand, colorful marbles in the bottom of your container. Place
the bulbs with the wide bottom down and the pointed end up on top of the stones
or marbles.
Use enough bulbs to fill the container. This will ensure a great
display and help keep the flowers more upright. Next, fill in around the bulbs
with more stones or marbles.
Forcing vases are also available.
Choose a vase, nest the bulb in the top of the vase and add enough water to touch the base of the bulb.
Check your bulbs daily to ensure the water level is just touching the base of
the bulb. Paperwhites will go bad if you submerge the bulb, so keep the water
level right at the base of the bulb. Place your bowl or pot in a bright
location. Plenty of light will keep the flower stems from growing too tall and
becoming floppy.
Roots will develop in about two weeks, followed by top growth
and then blooms. You can start paperwhites every few weeks for continuous
blooms through the holidays and into late winter. Paperwhites can be planted
after they have bloomed, but it may take several seasons in order for the bulbs
to gain enough energy to re-bloom.
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