What to Do with Paperwhites After They Bloom
- In the Garden. If you plant paperwhite bulbs in your garden one year -- September through December, they should produce their pale flowers for many springs to come.
- Forcing in Winter. The term "forcing bulbs" may sound harsh, but it simply means tricking bulbs into blooming when it is not their normal time to bloom.
- Indoors. If you force your paperwhite bulbs one year, don't try the same trick the following winter; it usually won't work because the bulbs have not been able to replenish ...
- Origin of Genus Name. In Greek mythology, Narcissus was the beautiful youth who spent his life admiring his own reflection in a pool of water; after death, a flower of ...
How often do you water paperwhites?
Materials
- Shallow container without drainage holes
- Stones, marbles, or gravel
- Paperwhite narcissus bulbs
How to replant paperwhites indoors?
Planting Paperwhites in Soil
- Choose a Container and Add Soil
- When planting narcissus bulbs indoors, you'll need to first select a container. ...
- Set the Winter Flowering Bulbs on the Soil
- Arrange paperwhite bulbs on top of the soil so that their sides aren't touching.
- Add More Soil to Bury the Bulbs
- Fill in around the bulbs with potting soil. ...
- Water the Soil
When to plant paperwhites outdoors?
How to Plant Paperwhites Outdoors After Forcing
- Feed potted paperwhites with a pinch of 5-10-10 granular fertilizer just after they blooming. ...
- Cut the flower stems from the potted paperwhites after the bloom fades and the stem starts to yellow.
- Move the plant to a sunny window so the foliage can continue to create food to build up the bulb and set a flower bud.
Can you get a Paperwhite to rebloom?
Paperwhites can be grown indoors and forced to bloom during the holiday season. With the proper care, you can save and preserve paperwhite bulbs to bloom again. However, they do require time to replenish their energy stores, and may not re-bloom for two or three years.
Can you save paperwhite bulbs after blooming?
With the proper care, you can save and preserve paperwhite bulbs to bloom again. However, they do require time to replenish their energy stores, and may not re-bloom for two or three years. Paperwhites are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 9.
Can paper white bulbs be reused?
When paperwhite bulbs are forced, they cannot be reused or regrown; however, when planted in soil and allowed to grow and bloom on their timing, you can reuse or regrow paperwhites every year. Plan on planting your paperwhites outdoors in October or November in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 to 11.
What can you do with paper white bulbs after they bloom?
You need to let the leaves die back naturally on their own. While the flowers are done blooming, the leaves provide nutrients to the bulb for next year. I continue to water the bulbs every 2-3 days. If you live in Zone 8 or higher, you can put the bulbs outside.
What can I do with forced paperwhites?
Once forced, the foliage will yellow and it is time to toss the bulb and soil, as planting paperwhites outdoors after forcing is rarely successful. If using pebbles or the like for forcing paperwhite bulbs, wash this medium and the containers thoroughly and store for the following year.
How do you store paperwhites for the next year?
Keep Them in Pots About six weeks after the paperwhite blooms, turn the pot on its side and store it somewhere where it will not freeze, such as a garage or basement. In the fall, turn the pot upright, place it in the sun, water the bulb thoroughly and continue watering until the paperwhite blooms again in the spring.
How do you get seeds out of paperwhites?
Collecting Seeds after Paperwhites Bloom After paperwhites bloom, allow the spent flowers to remain in order to collect the paperwhite seeds. After paperwhites bloom, small green-like seedpods are left where the flower blossoms were. It should take about ten weeks for these seedpods to fully mature.
Should you deadhead paperwhites?
You can deadhead them as they start to wilt, but continue to enjoy the foliage. Deadhead paperwhite blooms as they start to fade, so you can continue to enjoy the foliage.
How do you store paperwhites?
Store the paper bag in a moderately cool and dry location. A standard interior room with temperatures between 60 F and 75 Fahrenheit is ideal for paperwhite storage. Store the paperwhite bulbs for three to four months in the bag. Remove the bulbs from the bag when you are ready to plant them.
How do I stop my paperwhites from falling over?
Here are four ways to keep your paperwhites from falling over.Support Them With Sticks. The tried-and-true method for keeping paperwhites from falling over is to support them with a stick or with multiple sticks. ... Support Them With Ribbon. ... Support Them With A Tall Straight-Sided Vase. ... Stunt Their Growth With Booze.
Can you reuse forced bulbs?
Container plants that have been previously forced into bloom cannot be forced again; however, you can plant bulbs in the garden. If you plan to replant these forced bulbs outdoors, sprinkle a small amount of bulb boosting fertilizer on top of the soil, as most will not flower well again without some help.
Can paperwhite bulbs be planted outside?
In warm climates, where temperatures don't go below 20°F, paperwhite bulbs may be planted outdoors in late fall for blooms in late winter. Plant the bulbs about 6" deep and 4" apart.
When should I start my paperwhites for Christmas?
When to plant paperwhites for Christmas blooms. The best time to plant your paperwhites for Christmas blooms would be 4-6 weeks before you want them at their best. If you want them blooming in early December for the start of the Christmas party season, plant in mid to late October.
How to keep paperwhites blooming in winter?
Most bulbs require a period of refrigeration to bloom in winter, but paperwhites do not. Plant them close together, pointy ends up, in soil, stones or sea glass, with the top one-half of each bulb sticking out of the material. Keep the soil moist, or, if you use stones or shells, maintain a water level up to 3/4 inch from the top of that material. ...
What do paperwhites smell like?
Paperwhites have a sweet, heady fragrance, like many Narcissus species. What you do with paperwhites (Narcissus tazetta ssp. papyraceus) after they bloom is largely a function of what you do with them before they bloom.
Do paperwhites bloom outside?
The outdoor plants stay outdoors after they finishing flowering to bloom the next year while spent indoor paperwhites either are tossed in the garbage or planted outside. Their flowers' pure-white coronas and petals distinguish paperwhites from their relatives. Advertisement.
How long does it take for a paperwhite bulb to bloom?
Sometimes if you plant them outside in USDA zone 10, you may get another bloom the next year but usually paperwhite bulb reblooming will take up to three years. Bulbs are plant storage structures that hold the embryo and the carbohydrates necessary to start the plant.
Why do bulbs turn yellow?
If the foliage is allowed to grow until it turns yellow and dies back, the bulb may have stored enough energy for reblooming. You can help this process along by giving the plant some bloom food when it is actively growing.
Where do paperwhites bloom?
Paperwhites are often found in homes, blooming with starry white flowers that help dispel the cobwebs of winter. They grow quickly in either soil or on a bed of water submerged gravel. Once the bulbs have flowered, it can be difficult to get another bloom in the same season.
Can paperwhite bulbs be rebloomed in Zone 10?
Remember, paperwhite bulb reblooming in zone 10 may be possible, but even this ideal condition is not a sure-fire prospect.
Can paperwhites bloom again?
How to Get Paperwhites to Flower Again. Unlike many bulbs, paperwhites need no chilling to force blooms and are only hardy in USDA zone 10. This means that in California you can plant the bulb outdoors and you may get a bloom the next year if you fed it and let its foliage persist.
Do paperwhites need chilling?
Image by JodieR. Paperwhites are a form of Narcissus, closely related to daffodils. The plants are common winter gift bulbs which do not need chilling and are available year round. Getting paperwhites to rebloom after the first flowering is a tricky proposition.
Can you get another bloom from a bulb?
This makes them energy deficient and there is no way you can get another bloom.
