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Index : Flowers - Perennials
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- 17. Grow Pot of Narcissus Indoors - Top
If you want some flowers to brighten the Winter months ahead, consider planting a pot of narcissus. Paper whites are fun to grow and they bloom in indoors in just a few weeks from planting.
Unlike other flowering bulbs, paper white narcissus will bloom without cold treatment. Most garden centers and nurseries have a good fall selection of bulbs including paper whites. Select bulbs that are free of rot and discoloration. Also choose bulbs that are similar in size. In this way, when potted together, the leaves and flowers will all be a consistent size.
Paper whites can be potted in moist vermiculite or gravel. I prefer potting them in gravel, in clear-sided containers. Aquarium gravel works well. It's sterile and it can be purchased in small bags. Clear containers allow you to see the roots as they grow in the gravel. It's a fun project for kids.
To grow in this manner, select glass or plastic bowls or clear plastic pot liners, available at most garden centers. You can also use a clay or plastic container, but you won't be able to see the roots as they grow out from the bulbs. That's ok; they will still bloom just as nicely.
The container you select should be shallow - from 3 to 6 inches deep. If you using clay pots, I recommend shallow bulb pots. The width doesn't really matter. A narrow glass jar can be planted with a single bulb. A six or eight inch diameter pot liner will hold from five to seven bulbs.
When planting in gravel, use pots without drainage holes. Fill gravel to within an inch of the pot rim. Set the bulbs on top of the gravel. Space them out so they do not touch each other. Next, fill gravel around the bulbs. Cover the lower half of the bulbs. This will help anchor them in place during the rooting process.
If the container you've selected has drainage holes, cover the holes with a filter. A piece of coffee filter or paper toweling works well. Moisten the filter and place it over the drainage hole. This will hold it in place when your filling the pot.
Pots with drainage holes should be filled with vermiculite. Soak the vermiculite in water before placing in the pot. Fill to within one and one-half inches of the pot rim. The vermiculite will absorb and hold just enough moisture to encourage rooting but not enough to rot the bulbs. Place the bulbs on top of the vermiculite then fill around the bulbs, covering them half-way up. Keep the vermiculite moist by watering daily. Continue watering until the bulbs have competed blooming.
If your growing your bulbs in gravel, keep the level of water in the container just slightly below the base of the bulbs. As roots emerge from the base of the bulbs, they will grow down into the gravel. Maintain the water level slightly below the base of the bulbs. It's much easier view the water level when bulbs are potted in a clear glass or plastic container.
While the bulbs are rooting, keep them in a cool, dark location. When the bulbs sprout green shoots, place them in a bright location, but out of direct sunlight. Paper whites will start blooming 4 to 6 weeks after planting. While in bloom, keep the pot in a cool location and away from ripening fruit as this will cause the flowers to fade prematurely.
Hyacinths can also be potted using these techniques. Use only pre-cooled hyacinth bulbs or cool them yourself by placing them in the refrigerator in a paper bag for 5 weeks prior to planting. During this period keep fruit out of the refrigerator. Fruit ripening gasses can damage bulbs.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. - Updated: November 4, 2001
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