Paper whites - Fragrant Easy to Grow Indoor Flowers

Wonderful Paper whites - Fragrant Easy to Grow Indoor Flowers!!!

For many gardeners, winter means several dreary months of
anxiously waiting for spring planting season. You can easily
fill your need to garden and brighten your indoor environment
by growing fragrant paperwhites over winter.

Paperwhites are members of the Narcissus family and grow from
bulbs like their cousins, daffodils and jonquils. Native to
parts of Europe and Asia, paperwhites can be grown outdoors in
growing zones 9-11, but they can easily be grown indoors
anywhere. Look for paperwhite bulbs wherever you buy tulip or
daffodil bulbs. Some supermarkets and shopping centers even
sell the bulbs in late fall and winter.

For a nice display of paperwhites, plant the bulbs in groups
of at least five. The bulbs can be planted in any waterproof
container where they'll fit, and they don't mind being crowded
as long as the bulbs don't touch each other. Paperwhites grow
to be about 15 inches tall, so a tall, narrow container will
help keep the long stems from flopping over.

Fill the container halfway with small stones or gravel for
drainage. Set the bulbs on top of the stones with their pointy
ends up, then fill around the bulbs with more small stones or
potting soil. Do not completely cover the bulbs as this will
delay blooming. The top half of the bulb should be peeking out
from the soil or stones.

Water the bulbs well, but not so much that the bulbs stay wet.
Only the roots of the bulbs should be in water. Too much water
will rot the bulbs.

For faster blooming, immediately place your planted paperwhite
bulbs in a warm bright room. The bulbs will sprout quickly and
the heavily scented white blossoms will appear in 4-6 weeks.
To delay blooming, keep the potted bulbs in a dark and cool, but
not freezing room for a week or two until the sprouts appear.

Once paperwhites are done blooming, they should be discarded in
northern climates. Indoor growing is exhausting for the bulbs
and they will only bloom once. Paperwhites are not winter hardy
and would not survive outdoors, except in zones 9-11 where they
will come back year after year.

Have a great week!
-Mike McGroarty

enjoy!!!