Winter is a great time for growing!
When the weather turns cold and the days are short I long for my fresh garden flowers, but they are all outside sleeping, so I turn to growing bulbs inside. It is easy and fun, and your effort will be rewarded with weeks of beauty to enjoy.
Growing Paperwhites is a great place to begin if you have never grown bulbs indoors. They are easy to grow and can be enjoyed from Thanksgiving through early spring!
What are Paperwhites?
They are a tender bulb that comes from the warm Mediterranean climate. They do not like, nor do they need a cold period to bloom, like tulips, daffodils, or hyacinths. When you bring your bag of bulbs home from the market, keep them in the paper bag until you pot them up. Do not store them in the refrigerator, or outside in the cold.
I like to grow “Nir” Paperwhites. They have a moderate musky fragrance with many small white blooms that combine to create a large floret. One bulb will grow several tall sturdy stems.
The spring green foliage and stems, combined with the delicate white florets and subtle yellow centers to create a soothing display in a rustic pot.
I like to cut them and place them in some bud vases as a centerpiece for my kitchen table. They bring such a simple elegant look for us to enjoy during a meal.
They will last as long in a vase as they will attached to the bulb.
Here are some “How To’s” you can follow to grow your own beautiful Paperwhites this winter.
Your items list is small:
A Pot (4”deep or more)
Potting Soil
A Window
Nir Paperwhite Bulbs
Water
Activated Charcoal (optional)
You can choose any container 4" inches deep or more.
It can be a rustic old terracotta pot with a drainage hole at the bottom, or a delicate antique soup tureen with no drainage hole. My favorite is a white antique chamber pot!
If you choose a container with no drainage, be sure to add 1/2 teaspoon of activated charcoal before you add your potting soil.
The charcoal will absorb odor from water sitting at the bottom of the container.
Add some potting soil. take care to leave enough room in the pot to add a little more over the bulbs after you plant them.
If you chose a container large enough for several bulbs, place them close together. Paperwhites look lovely when planted alone in a small pot ,too!
Add more soil until 2/3 of the bulb is covered with only the top portion protruding.
Moisten the soil with water and place the container in a cool dark location for 1 week. A basement, closet, or any room without sunlight will suffice.
The bulb will take this time to establish some roots which will help it to grow sturdy stems, strong enough to hold up the flowers without flopping over.
After the seven days have past, move the container to a cool bright location near a window.
Keep the soil moist, not soggy, because it will rot the bulb.
If the stems begin to lean toward the window, rotate the pot.
If they do flop over, cut them and enjoy them in your favorite vase.
Once the flowers stop blooming, just toss the whole thing in the compost pile. They will not rebloom next year if you plant them inside or outside (here in southwest Ohio).