Photo by L.A. Jackson
During the coldest times of the year, few plants are as impatient to grow and eager to show as paperwhite narcissus (Narcissus tazetta). Members of the large daffodil clan, paperwhites emerge from bulbs that, unlike their cousins, don’t need the extended chill of winter to stimulate blooming. This makes them excellent candidates for a nifty trick called “forced flowering,” which speeds up a plant’s maturity.
In the easy-to-please paperwhite’s case, forced flowering means tucking planted bulbs away in a cool, dimly lit backroom until young shoots and roots begin to sprout, usually in about two weeks. Then, bring the bulbs into an indoor area that receives sunlight—lots of sunlight. I have found that paperwhites that don’t bask in at least five hours of winter sun tend to be floppers and need to be staked.
Planting these bulbs in potting soil will certainly work, but a fun way to grow paperwhites is in water, just so you can watch the roots wake up and wiggle their way through a container. A clear vase with an opening that will comfortably seat the bottom of a single bulb will work, but for a cluster planting, consider a transparent bowl about three inches deep filled with colorful pebbles.
Bulbs should be set with just their bottom quarters in water. Maintain this level of contact through the paperwhites’ grow-and-show period. Since the bulbs have stored up all the energy they are going to need for the flower show to come, it is not necessary to add fertilizer to the water.
With sun and water requirements met, paperwhites will typically bloom in just over a month. The clusters of small, typically white to light cream blossoms will then beautifully linger for a week or even longer. If you like their looks, consider staggering plantings a few weeks apart to have fresh indoor flowers through the cold, dreary winter months.
Paperwhites are offered for sale at this time of year either in bloom or as prepackaged bulbs at garden shops for Christmas presents, and while they are indeed fragrant, to me, some of the regular offerings smell off-sweet, bordering on industrial. The common cultivar Ziva comes to mind, and my best description of its scent is the smell of carpet glue. Honest. However, older varieties such as Avalanche and (especially) Erlicheer do have genuine, delightfully pleasant scents and are worth the extra effort to find, whether locally or online.
December in the garden
• Add mulch around recently planted evergreens and water them during extended dry periods when the rains don’t come because, even in the winter, drought can be a problem for such newbie woody ornamentals in full leaf.
• If your African violets are starting to look a bit lopsided, it’s probably because they are bending toward their light source. Give your pretties a quarter turn every two weeks to lose the lean.
Tip of the month
Spider plant is a classic indoor plant that helps chase away the winter blues. To keep it happy and healthy, place it in a bright area but not in direct sun. Also, since it is sensitive to chlorine and fluoride (which can cause leaf tips to brown), irrigate with distilled water or rainwater. And don’t go crazy with watering—soggy soil can lead to a sad-looking spider plant, so water only when the top inch of dirt feels dry to the touch. Fertilizer is not necessary during the winter, but do start light monthly feedings in spring and summer when your spider plant is actively growing.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.
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