How To Care For Paperwhites Planted In Soil Or Water

How to care for paperwhites planted in soil

If you are potting up bulbs yourself and want them to bloom around mid December, keep in mind that it takes anywhere from about four to six weeks from planting.

For paperwhites planted in soil in a bulb pan or pot, keep the potting soil consistently moist, but not saturated, which will prevent bulb rot. Choose a pot with a drainage hole so the bulbs are never inadvertently sitting in water.

How to care for paperwhites planted in water

If you’ve planted your paperwhites in a glass container with pebbles and water, make sure that only the base of the bulbs where the roots are touch the water and that the whole bulb itself isn’t taking a bath. This prevents the bulb from rotting. The benefit of growing in a glass container is that you can see where the water level is. Keep an eye on the water levels and replenish so just the roots are always touching the water.

Prevent paperwhites from flopping

One of my favorite pieces of indoor plant advice that I like to dust off around the holidays concerns preventing your elegant pot of paperwhites from unceremoniously flopping over. Rather than allowing paperwhites to grow too tall (causing them to fall over from their own weight), research has shown you can stunt their growth by adding a surprising ingredient to your watering routine: booze. An alcohol solution will keep your paperwhites nice and compact and less likely to droop. You can read more about the concept at Cornell University’s Flowerbulb Research Program.

At the time of planting, place the bulbs atop a layer of stones or glass beads. Leaving the top half of the bulb bare and dry, water normally until the roots start to grow and the shoot is green and about one to two inches long (about one week). Then, replace the water with a four- to six-per cent water/alcohol mix. For example, f the spirit is 40 per cent alcohol, you would use one part booze to seven parts water. Stick to the hard liquor—vodka, gin, rum, etc.—as the sugars in beer and wine are not good for the plants.

Another option is to plant paperwhites in a cylindrical vase. The sides will help hold your paperwhites upright as they grow.

If you’ve planted paperwhites in a deeper flower pot, you could try using bamboo stakes or the plant supports used to stake amaryllis. A simple piece of twine will do in a pinch if you have nothing else at your disposal, though both these last options aren’t as attractive as the first couple.

What to do with paperwhite bulbs after the blooms are done

Paperwhite blooms should last for about two weeks. Plants grow well in indirect light (avoid direct sunlight) in a room that hovers around 65 F (18 C) to 70 F (21 F). If plants are straining towards the light, turning the pot every few days will help keep plants straight. You can deadhead them as they start to wilt, but continue to enjoy the foliage.

However, it’s notoriously hard to save bulbs for next year. Most will send the bulbs to the compost and purchase anew the following year.