How to Dry Paperwhite Bulbs

Paperwhite bulbs are a part of the Narcissus flower group that also includes the gladiolus and daffodil plants. These plants produce tall green stalks with an abundance of thin white flowers from which they get their name. Although most often grown indoors during the winter months, paperwhite narcissus plants can also be grown outdoors during warmer months. Because the plant is not cold tolerant, outdoor bulbs must be dug up, dried and stored during the cooler months.

Things You'll Need

• Spade
• Pruning shears
• Pot
• Potting soil

Instructions

1. Locate the outdoor paperwhite narcissus flowers in the fall before their stalks completely die off.

2. Use a spade to dig up the bulbs from the ground. Insert the spade straight into the ground approximately 6 to 8 inches away from the plant. Then lean the spade back to lift a large section of the ground up. Use your hands to gently remove the bulb from the surrounding soil.

3. Use pruning shears to snip off any remaining green stalks from the bulb approximately 2 inches above the base of the bulb.

4. Spread a layer of newspaper and arrange the bulbs on it in a single layer. Allow the bulbs to air dry for one or two days.

5. Fill a pot with all-purpose potting soil and plant the bulbs into it. Because the bulbs will not bloom, multiple bulbs can be planted in the same pot as long as they are approximately 4 inches apart.

6. Store the pot in an area that will remain above the freezing point.

Tips & Warnings

• It is not necessary to water the plants.

• Paperwhite narcissus bulbs can also be stored outside of pots by placing them in a paper or mesh bag. However, they might not produce blooms the next growing season since the bulbs cannot absorb nutrients from the soil.

References

• Gardenersnet.com: Paperwhite Narcissus Flowering Bulbs
• University of Vermont Extension Department of Plant and Soil Science: Winter Care for Summer Bulbs