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Paperwhites in baskets - cover the gravel with moss
I am a big fan of paperwhites. I force dozens of paperweights throughout the winter, starting new sets every other week or so.
They produce festive bouquets of wonderful smelling flowers in a matter of weeks. Who couldn’t love them?
Forcing paperwhites is very easy and is a great activity to do with the kids.
You place the bulbs root-side down in a container, surround the bulbs in gravels or decorative rock and add water.
You don’t want a lot of water; just enough to cover the bottom of the bulb, the roots will grow down to the water. Keep the roots moist all the time.
Once paperwhites start to grow, they have a tendency to bolt. There are three ways to deal with this problem:
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Paperwhite bulb roots - planted 2 weeks ago
1. Plant the paperwhite bulbs in a tall vase – about ¾ of the way down. The vase will act as the support as they grow tall. The flowers will still be up above the top of the vase.
2. Use the old Martha Stewart trick and tie the long steps together with a red festive bow. I am not a big fan of this option as it never seems to look as good as when she does it, but it will at least support the stems.
3. This is the method I use the most. Add a little Christmas (or New Year) cheer to the bulbs! Add about a teaspoon of alcohol (or around 7 to 1 water/alcohol ratio) once the stems get around 5 inches in height. This will “stunt” the growth of the stems but will NOT affect the flowers, allowing you to grow them in shallow dishes. You can use rubbing alcohol is you prefer.
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Shallow containers will need some "spirit"
Paperwhites are beautiful, fragrant, flowers that are easy to force. They only take a few weeks to grow and you’ll be able to have a little “Spring” inside, even if the outside is covered in snow! And they make wonderful Holiday gifts for Grandparents, teachers, neighbors and friends.
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Comments
I always love them but thought it was too hard, now I know it is easy!
:)
Third culture kids examiner
Seattle stay-at-home moms examiner
I didn't know it was that easy either!
Even I can do this without screwing it up!
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