University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Fall News
Article
FRAGRANT
PAPERWHITES
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
A popular and
easy-to-flower bulb for late fall and the holidays is the paperwhite
narcissus. Sweet
smelling paperwhites can be coaxed into bloom with very little
effort. Prepotted paperwhites can be purchased at many
garden stores. All you do is add water! These potted bulbs also make
a nice gift,
or a fun activity for children.
The correct term
is actually "forcing" as you are forcing the spring-flowering bulbs
to fast-forward their natural growth cycles and bloom in winter
instead. Many
bulbs can be forced--grape hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, and
crocuses, for
example--but paperwhites are probably the easiest as they don't
require a long
cold storage period to root.
Paperwhites
produce small, star-shaped flowers that will last for several weeks.
Some
varieties have pure white flowers, others have white perianths
(outer petals)
with pale yellow "cups" in the center. Paperwhites, which come from
the Mediterranean, are tender bulbs and not suitable for outdoor
growing in
Vermont. However, most garden centers and seed catalogs sell bulbs
for indoor
forcing.
If purchasing
locally, choose healthy bulbs with no soft spots or signs of
discoloration.
Store in a cool, dry place until time to plant.
Paperwhites will
bloom about four to six weeks after planting, so plan accordingly if
you want
flowers for the holidays or other special occasions. For continuous
bloom
throughout the winter, plant bulbs every two weeks from late fall
through
February.
Use shallow
containers, about three to four inches deep, without drainage holes.
You can find
these specially designed containers for forcing at many garden
centers. Add
about two inches of washed pebbles, or large glass beads similar to
marbles
(available at craft stores and some garden stores) in the bottom of
the
container. If using the colorful glass
beads, use a clear container so they can be seen. Or, similar to
other forcing bulbs, you can
plant in pots with soil.
Gently place the
bulbs, pointed side up on the gravel or beads. They should be close,
but not
touching. (Five bulbs will fit nicely in a six-inch pot.) Then add
enough
pebbles around the bulbs to hold them in place. If using soil, make
sure the
bulb tops are at or above the surface.
The tricky part is
watering the bulbs if not in soil. You want to add just enough water
so it reaches
the base of the bulbs. You don't want the bulbs to sit in water as
this will
cause rot. Maintain this level of water throughout the growing
period. You'll
probably need to replenish the water every two or three days. Don't
fertilize—the
bulb already contains the nutrients it needs.
Place the
container in a cool, dark place (about 50 degrees F) for a few weeks
until
green shoots appear (but don’t forget about them). Then move to
full, bright
light (generally, a window with southern exposure). Too little
light, and the
plants will grow leggy as they stretch to reach the light.
Initially, room
temperature should be 60 to 65 degrees.
To prolong bloom,
after the plants begin to flower, remove them from direct sunlight
and place in
a cooler, less sunny part of your home. Paperwhites require USDA
zones 8 to 11 outdoors,
they can't be planted successfully outside in the north, nor can
they be saved
to force again next year. Nevertheless,
they provide easy, inexpensive, cheery, and long-lasting flowers.
Return to
Perry's Perennial
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