Paperwhite narcissus are one of my all time holiday favorites. For years when I ran the nursery, it was a constant race to keep up with the demand for these fat glossy bulbs that quickly root, shoot and burst in fragrant bloom just in time for holiday gifts and decor. Every year we sold hundreds and hundreds and yet, I have never grown tired of their heady sweet fragrance nor cease to marvel at how simple it is to get these beauties to bloom; it’s called “forcing”, but really, very little coercion is involved.
Getting them to stand up – now that’s a different story! You’d think my years and years of experience would have granted even some small level of expertise or explanation as to why these plants persist in flopping just when they are in peak bloom. HA!
Such as it is…here are my directions:
3-4 weeks before you want flowers place clean gravel in a vase; I like to use clear glass vases so I can watch the succulent white roots emerge (isn’t it amazing what passes for gardening mid-winter?) Nestle the root end of the bulb into the gravel and top lightly with another shallow layer of rock to anchor the bulb in place. Fill the vase just to the bottom of the bulb with water and place in a bright but cool area to root.
Expert tip #1 coming up: In a temperate region, like our beautiful Pacific Northwest, place pots and vases of planted paperwhites outside for maximum exposure to light and cool temperatures to produce nice straight, stout stems. (I’ve even tucked a few bulbs in with mixed container plantings on the hope that we’ll have our usual mild weather. These bulbs bloom and hold for weeks and weeks provided temperatures stay between 40-45 F.)
Once budded, bring the bulbs into the house but keep away from warm drafts and heat to encourage the stems to remain upright; you can even move the plants back out onto a cool porch when you are not enjoying their fragrance in the house to prolong their show.
Here’s where my expertise starts to fall apart. Some years I follow the above instructions and have a glorious display with successions of powerfully fragrant, pure white, snowflake-like flowers for weeks on end. Other years… well, unless I mistakenly purchased the rare weeping form this year, this is my sorry result. Heavenly scent but hardly graceful splayed all over the table; sad, really.
So I began to hunt around the net for a solution. I came across the Cornell University Website – they’re smart folks and their horticulture department is one of the best. From Floriculture to Nursery Crop Production, Soil Science to Plant Pathology – these are the real experts! Their advice? Gin – that’s right, cocktail hour now includes “potted” plants! “A dilute alcohol solution will curtail excessive growth and result in shorter, sturdier stems which won’t flop.” Really?
So, here’s round two in the great paperwhite caper. I’ve purchased 5 more bulbs and set them into the gravel. Of course, now it is a brisk 22 F. outside so they can’t go out on the back porch this time; it will be a true test of the spirited Cornell theory. Download Pickle your Paperwhites and play along at home.
Me, I’ve cut all my formerly flopping flowers and created a lavish bouquet that fills the living room with a heady fragrance. I think I’ll have a martini and toast the good folks at Cornell while I await my test results.
Cheers!
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