March 5, 2019

Forcing Paper white Flower Bulbs

Longing for a sign of spring? Then learn to force paper white flower bulbs. It’s super easy and the fragrant white flowers will bring a little burst of spring into your home.

I love winter. That moment when I’m curled on the sofa on in front of a cheerful fire on a cold snowy day. Fuzzy sweaters, snuggly scarves, cozy socks and a good book – mmmmm.

Forcing Paper white flower bulbs – 2 weeks in and almost ready to bloom

But after awhile, I long for my garden and itch to get outside. That’s when I turn to forcing flower bulbs. It’s a little way to enjoy a tiny morsel of spring, even on the coldest winter day.

Paper whites are a type of narcissus, similar to daffodils. However, unlike daffodils they don’t need a chilling period so they’re very easy to grow indoors. Just add water and in about three weeks the fragrant, white flowers will bloom.

Paper White bulbs – you can get them at any garden center.

How To Force Paper white Flower Bulbs

I love to force Paper whites in a mason jar. The high sides of the jar help support the stems and I like the farmhouse look. However, almost any kind of container can work, just make sure the container is about 3 -4 inches deep, this will support the stems as they grow.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies – you’ll need a container without drainage holes, like a vase, jar or even a bowl. Enough pebbles, marbles or even gravel to cover about an inch of the base of your container, and of course some paper white bulbs.

Step 2: Create The Base – using clean stones, marbles or gravel spread about one to two inches into your container. This creates a support for the bulbs and roots as they burrow into the water.

Forcing Paper whites – I love mixing marbles & stones for the base

Step 3: Add The Bulbs – with the tip pointing up, nestle your bulb into the stones. You can push them down into the stones till 1/4 of the bulb is buried. Some people like to add more stones until only the shoulders of the bulb are showing. (I prefer to see the bulb.) Just make sure to never bury the bulb completely.

Forcing Paper whites – adding the bulb to the base of stones.

Step 4: Add Water – this is the tricky part, you only want to add enough water to cover the base of the bulbs. If you add too much water and submerge the bulb, it’ll rot.

Forcing Paper whites – add water to the base of the bulb.

Step 5: The Right Light – until the roots start to develop, keep the bulb out of direct sunlight. Keep the bulb in a shaded and open area of the house. Make sure to watch he water level, so the bulb doesn’t dry out. After the roots emerge, you can move them to a spot with diffused or indirect light.

Forcing Paper whites – roots starting to grow.

Forcing Paper White Bulbs Tips & Tricks

I like to bury 1/4 of the bulb in the stones, this acts as a natural line and makes it easy for me to not over water the bulb. Another thing you can do is try using 2 colors for the gravel, one for the base as a guide for water and another color to cover the bulb.