Forcing Paperwhite Narcissus For Winter Blooms

Paper white narcissus (daffodil family) is one of the easiest bulbs to force indoors over the winter season and they don’t need to be chilled first like other flower bulbs do (see Forcing Bulbs Indoors For Winter Blooms). To force narcissus bulbs, you just need a container, a bit of water and some pebbles! Here’s how you do it:

How To Force Paperwhite Narcissus

Paperwhites Can Add A Beautiful Touch Of Spring Over The Cold Winter Months

• Choose a container that’s at least 2 inches deep and will be large enough to hold the amount of bulbs you wish to plant. Fill the container with a layer of pebbles or glass marbles leaving a space of at least one inch at the top of container.
• Arrange each bulb on top of the pebbles with the root side down then cover with more pebbles until the bulbs are secured in place (covered about 1/3 of the way up the bulbs). No need to worry about bulb spacing with this method, fill the container with as many bulbs as you like without letting them touch each other.
• Next, fill the container with water until the level reaches just beneath the bottom of the bulbs. You don’t want the bulbs submerged in water as this will cause them to rot. By having the water very close to the bulbs, the root growth will be drawn down into the water.
• Encourage strong root development by placing the container in a cool dark place for about 2 weeks. You should also notice new plant growth at least an inch or two tall. After two weeks move the container of bulbs to a bright location.
• Make sure to watch the water level, keeping it just underneath the bulbs at all times.
• The bulbs will begin to bloom between 4 and 6 weeks and should last about 2 weeks. Once the blooms have faded, the bulbs will not be able to rebloom.

Tip: For pots of continuous blooms, prepare a new pot of paper white narcissus bulbs every 10 days or so.

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