How to Care for Paper White Bulbs
Paperwhites, or narcissus, produce white, delicate, star-shaped blooms with a sweet fragrance. They grow from bulbs, which store the essential nutrients and make the plants quite self-sustaining and easy to grow indoors. Paperwhites are ideal bulbs for forcing, or inducing growth by controlling the planting time and temperature of the bulb and triggering its growth cycles. With the right care, paperwhite bulbs can be grown indoors and provide a wintertime treat when other blossoms are scarce. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Paperwhite bulbs
- Shallow container large enough to fit desired number of bulbs
- Pebbles or marbles
- Water
Instructions
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1
Fill in a shallow container with a 2-inch layer of pebbles or marbles.
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2
Place paperwhite bulbs on top of pebbles with the roots facing down. Place bulbs close to each other.
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3
Fill in any space between bulbs to secure them. Leave the tops of the bulbs uncovered.
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4
Water the bulbs, letting the water level rise only up to the bottom of the bulbs. While the roots that will form under the layer of pebbles need water, the bulbs themselves should not be left sitting in water, as they will rot.
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5
Begin growing the bulbs in a cooler environment, away from direct sunlight, until the roots develop and firmly latch onto the pebbles. Watch the bulbs for root development and maintain water level in the container. Do not water so much that the bulbs rest in water.
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6
Move the container into direct sunlight when the roots have developed to encourage the bulb to produce growth and to flower. Continue watering conservatively as before.
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Tips & Warnings
If you wish to add potting soil with the pebbles, choose a "soilless" potting mix. The bulbs do not require soil's fertilizer and are susceptible to rotting when planted in moisture-retaining soil.
Bulbs forced indoors often do not last beyond one growth cycle. You can attempt to replant the bulb in the garden, but most indoor bulbs do not come back the following season.
