Paperwhites Passion For
By LESLIE CRAWFORD
aperwhites remind me of Christmas holidays when we lived in Germany many years ago. It was such a treat during the cold, gray winter to have brilliant green stalks blooming with fragrant white flowers lining the windowsill. As we move toward the holidays, even though we don’t have dark, gray winters in Coronado, I still look forward to forcing paperwhite bulbs. It’s a way to bring a touch of blooming nature into the house. Easy to prep and grow, a container of paperwhites, which are a type of narcissus, can be an elegant centerpiece or a beautiful gift. Forcing bulbs sounds more complicated than it is. Basically, it means forcing them to bloom on our schedule, not theirs. Bulbs start showing up in nurseries at the end of August and are still available now. You’ll want to buy the freshest bulbs possible. Purchase them from a reputable nursery that has bulk bins of bulbs (say that three times fast!) on display so you can pick out your bulbs. This is preferable to the big box stores, which typically only sell bulbs in prepackaged sets. Those bulbs have probably been sitting around for a while in less than ideal conditions. When picking bulbs, choose ones that are firm. It’s OK to have a little growth sprouting from the top. If you’re not ready to prep the bulbs right away, put them in a cool,
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dark place until you are ready. I start assembling my containers in mid-November. You can put multiple bulbs in a big container or a single bulb in a small container. Surround the bulbs with pebbles with the top half of the bulb above the surface of pebbles. I’ve used everything from fancy stones and glass beads to crushed gravel. Put them away in a cool dark place without water until you are ready to force growth. When you add water, pour it up to just the bottoms of the bulbs. Any higher and you run the risk of rot. Once you’ve added water, put them back in the dark, cool place. The darkness retards the growth, otherwise they will quickly grow into a gangly mess. Once the bulbs are well established with about 8 inches of growth, bring them out into the light where they will come into bloom quickly. Once you start the process of adding water to the pots, it will take about five to six weeks for them to bloom. The general rule of thumb is if you are planning to have blooming paperwhites for the holidays, add water about the second or third week in November. It’s not a perfect science and one year my calculations were off, so my friends and family received New Year’s gifts instead. No matter when I hand them off, people always seem pleased to receive a small pot of happiness.
NOVEMBER 2018
