How to Force Paperwhite Narcissus Bulbs
Choose bulbs that look healthy., Store your bulbs in a cool, dry place., Consider the number of bulbs you will be forcing when choosing your vase., Make sure your container does not have any drainage holes., Plan ahead if you have a specific date...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose bulbs that look healthy.
Don’t choose any that seem at all mushy or discolored as this can indicate rot.
Any bulbs showing signs of disease or rot should be thrown away – don’t compost them as this can spread infection round the garden. -
Step 2: Store your bulbs in a cool
After purchasing, store your bulbs in a cool, dry place and exclude light until you are ready to prepare them for forcing.
It’s best to use them quickly and not store for very long.
It isn’t desirable for bulbs to get totally dry.
To avoid them drying out too much it’s best to keep them away from drafts or sources of heat such as TV or computer equipment, lights etc.
A good way to store them is in a paper bag placed inside a cupboard. , You can force individual bulbs in special hourglass-shaped containers but narcissi generally look better in a group rather than individually.
Most bulb forcing vases may be a bit big for small Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs, therefore it’s better to group several into a larger container. , Choose a container without any drainage holes: a glass vase or deep dish at least 4 inches (10.2 cm) deep is ideal.
Glass works best so you can see what’s going on inside and the light can penetrate. , Perhaps you want to get your Paperwhite Narcissus blooming for a particular date, such as the holiday season.
It isn’t always easy to predict exactly how long they will take but it’s usually between 4 and 6 weeks.
To have Paperwhite Narcissus on the Christmas table, you should probably start the forcing process no later than the middle of November.
To be absolutely sure of hitting the date you had in mind, try forcing a set of Paperwhite Narcissus weekly starting about 6 weeks ahead of your intended date.
For Christmas flowers, start the first batch off in the second week in November, then do another batch every week until the second week in December. , Fill the container with about 2 inches (5.1 cm) of pebbles, marbles, shells or glass beads.
Add water to just the top of the pebbles. , Place your bulbs carefully on top of the pebbles.
The pointed end of the bulb should point upwards.
It’s best if you can avoid the bulbs touching.
If one rots, the rest will then avoid being affected if they aren’t touching the rotted bulb. , You might like to add additional glass beads or pebbles to approximately the neck of the bulb, but this isn’t essential.
Only the very base of the bulb, the lowest millimeter, should touch the water. , Keep the room at a cool room temperature, for example in a cool room away from sources of heat such as radiators and electrical equipment.
You should exclude light by putting the container in a cupboard until you see roots begin to develop. , Once roots appear, it’s time to move the vase to a sunny position.
A window ledge facing the sun is a good spot, but try not to let the temperature get too warm.
Cool room temperature is best, away from radiators or other sources of heat. , Once the flowers appear, you want to move your forced Narcissi to a cool spot out of direct sunlight.
A brightly lit room but without direct sunlight is perfect: a window ledge that does not receive full sun is good.
This kind of cool, sunless position will make the flowers last a bit longer than they would in hot direct sunlight. , Depending on your room conditions, you may need to check every other day or at least twice a week to check the water level. , It’s a good idea to rotate the container once or twice a week because the bulbs will point towards a source of light, such as a window.
If you rotate the vase it will encourage them to grow straight rather than leaning towards the nearest light source. , If you choose to cut the flowers to use in a vase arrangement of cut flowers, it’s best not to mix Paperwhite Narcissus with other flowers as they release chemicals which cause other varieties of flower to wilt. , A Paperwhite Narcissus bulb tends not to perform too well if you try to get it to flower again after forcing it.
Forcing a bulb depletes its reserves of energy and the bulb won’t always recover to flower again even if planted in soil.
The bulbs won’t stand being forced twice.
You can try planting them outdoors in a sunny site in frost-free areas if you are patient and don’t mind waiting a few years, just in case the bulb recovers. , If you are very keen to keep the bulbs after forcing, make sure you add some water-soluble fertilizer to the water you force the bulbs in.
As soon as it finishes flowering, cut off the flower stalks and plant the bulb in a sunny spot in the garden with a handful of slow-release fertilizer, and let the foliage die back naturally.
It’s best to leave it in a secluded spot in the garden as it may take a few years to recover.
The bulb may appreciate a thick mulch being put over it after the foliage withers away – this will help it survive the colder months.
You may do better to throw the forced bulbs away and buy new ones because the forced bulb won’t perform as well again. -
Step 3: dry place.
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Step 4: Consider the number of bulbs you will be forcing when choosing your vase.
-
Step 5: Make sure your container does not have any drainage holes.
-
Step 6: Plan ahead if you have a specific date you would like your narcissus to bloom by.
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Step 7: Fill your container.
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Step 8: Place your bulbs in the container.
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Step 9: Consider adding additional items to your vase.
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Step 10: Keep the vase and bulb cool.
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Step 11: Move the vase to a sunny spot when roots begin to form.
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Step 12: Keep your flowering narcissus in a cool spot.
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Step 13: Keep the water topped up.
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Step 14: Rotate the container.
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Step 15: Try to avoid mixing narcissus with other flowers.
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Step 16: Understand that when you force narcissus
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Step 17: they may not flower again.
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Step 18: Add fertilizer to the bulb to try to get it to flower again.
Detailed Guide
Don’t choose any that seem at all mushy or discolored as this can indicate rot.
Any bulbs showing signs of disease or rot should be thrown away – don’t compost them as this can spread infection round the garden.
After purchasing, store your bulbs in a cool, dry place and exclude light until you are ready to prepare them for forcing.
It’s best to use them quickly and not store for very long.
It isn’t desirable for bulbs to get totally dry.
To avoid them drying out too much it’s best to keep them away from drafts or sources of heat such as TV or computer equipment, lights etc.
A good way to store them is in a paper bag placed inside a cupboard. , You can force individual bulbs in special hourglass-shaped containers but narcissi generally look better in a group rather than individually.
Most bulb forcing vases may be a bit big for small Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs, therefore it’s better to group several into a larger container. , Choose a container without any drainage holes: a glass vase or deep dish at least 4 inches (10.2 cm) deep is ideal.
Glass works best so you can see what’s going on inside and the light can penetrate. , Perhaps you want to get your Paperwhite Narcissus blooming for a particular date, such as the holiday season.
It isn’t always easy to predict exactly how long they will take but it’s usually between 4 and 6 weeks.
To have Paperwhite Narcissus on the Christmas table, you should probably start the forcing process no later than the middle of November.
To be absolutely sure of hitting the date you had in mind, try forcing a set of Paperwhite Narcissus weekly starting about 6 weeks ahead of your intended date.
For Christmas flowers, start the first batch off in the second week in November, then do another batch every week until the second week in December. , Fill the container with about 2 inches (5.1 cm) of pebbles, marbles, shells or glass beads.
Add water to just the top of the pebbles. , Place your bulbs carefully on top of the pebbles.
The pointed end of the bulb should point upwards.
It’s best if you can avoid the bulbs touching.
If one rots, the rest will then avoid being affected if they aren’t touching the rotted bulb. , You might like to add additional glass beads or pebbles to approximately the neck of the bulb, but this isn’t essential.
Only the very base of the bulb, the lowest millimeter, should touch the water. , Keep the room at a cool room temperature, for example in a cool room away from sources of heat such as radiators and electrical equipment.
You should exclude light by putting the container in a cupboard until you see roots begin to develop. , Once roots appear, it’s time to move the vase to a sunny position.
A window ledge facing the sun is a good spot, but try not to let the temperature get too warm.
Cool room temperature is best, away from radiators or other sources of heat. , Once the flowers appear, you want to move your forced Narcissi to a cool spot out of direct sunlight.
A brightly lit room but without direct sunlight is perfect: a window ledge that does not receive full sun is good.
This kind of cool, sunless position will make the flowers last a bit longer than they would in hot direct sunlight. , Depending on your room conditions, you may need to check every other day or at least twice a week to check the water level. , It’s a good idea to rotate the container once or twice a week because the bulbs will point towards a source of light, such as a window.
If you rotate the vase it will encourage them to grow straight rather than leaning towards the nearest light source. , If you choose to cut the flowers to use in a vase arrangement of cut flowers, it’s best not to mix Paperwhite Narcissus with other flowers as they release chemicals which cause other varieties of flower to wilt. , A Paperwhite Narcissus bulb tends not to perform too well if you try to get it to flower again after forcing it.
Forcing a bulb depletes its reserves of energy and the bulb won’t always recover to flower again even if planted in soil.
The bulbs won’t stand being forced twice.
You can try planting them outdoors in a sunny site in frost-free areas if you are patient and don’t mind waiting a few years, just in case the bulb recovers. , If you are very keen to keep the bulbs after forcing, make sure you add some water-soluble fertilizer to the water you force the bulbs in.
As soon as it finishes flowering, cut off the flower stalks and plant the bulb in a sunny spot in the garden with a handful of slow-release fertilizer, and let the foliage die back naturally.
It’s best to leave it in a secluded spot in the garden as it may take a few years to recover.
The bulb may appreciate a thick mulch being put over it after the foliage withers away – this will help it survive the colder months.
You may do better to throw the forced bulbs away and buy new ones because the forced bulb won’t perform as well again.
About the Author
Doris King
A passionate writer with expertise in organization topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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