Forcing Bulbs: Paperwhites

I love forcing bulbs to bloom out of season for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Bulbs are easy to grow, fun to watch, and provide a festive and elegant decoration. Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus) are native to Southern Europe and North Africa, and grow throughout the Mediterranean.

They have white fragrant flowers, and long stems and leaves. The bulb requires no preparation, so you can just purchase and plant them. For the holidays, I like to use a tall glass vase, with a layer of marbles or rocks for the roots. No soil is necessary since all the nutrition the plant needs is in the bulb. Just provide water.

Paperwhite bulbs (N. papyraceus 'zita') - day 42

For this project you'll need:

• One or more tall glass vase (see what you already have, or check out your local thrift store)
• Planting medium such as marbles or polished pebbles, available in garden centers
• Six to eight paperwhite bulb, such as N. Papyraceus 'zita' (14-16") or 'Ariel' (12-15") 
• (Optional) Shallow pan

Tooling up - day 1

Stems and leaves - day 20

To grow:

1. In each vase, add marbles or pebbles to a depth of  2-4 inches.
2. Optionally, rinse each bulb and carefully remove some of the loose dry skins. The skin can discolor and taint the water, so this may limit some of that.
3. Optionally, place the root end of the bulbs in a shallow pan of water for about 20 minutes to "wake up" the dry roots.
4. Gently ease the bulb into the planting medium, until about 1/3 covered. The goal is to stabilize the bulbs.
5. Pour water into the vase to cover the marbles or pebbles. Within several days you'll see the roots emerge, and anchor themselves in the marbles or pebbles. 
6. Add fresh water as needed to the same depth.

The stems and leaves tend to flop over as they get taller. You can purchase a flower ring or create a grid of clear floral tape to provide stability as needed. If the water discolors or smells dank, pour it out periodically, being careful to not disrupt the bulbs, and replenish with clean water.

Buds are ready to open - day 33

Aftercare: 

When the flowers are spent, remove them from the plant, and move the vase to a location where the plants can finish their life cycle. Then remove the bulbs from the marbles or pebbles, and let dry. Plant them outdoors 6" deep as you normally would.

These instructions are based on information from Van Zyverden, Inc., and personal experience. Learn more:
www.vanzyverden.com (product of Israel)
www.digdropdone.com