Get started now with your paper white narcissus project

Apopular holiday project needs to start now in order to be finished in time.

The project is growing paper white narcissus to bloom during the holidays. If you are not familiar with a paper white narcissus, it is related to the daffodil. The plant grows 12 to 18 inches tall with dark green leaves and a decorative white, star-like flower which is known for its scent.

For this project, you will need the paper white narcissus bulbs, a container — approximately six to nine inches in diameter and only three to four inches deep — clean small stones or gravel. I like using polished aquarium stone; it makes the project look very attractive.

First, fill the container about one-half full with the clean stones or gravel. Place five to nine bulbs on top of the gravel. The bulbs can be equally spread in the container, but it is more effective to place the bulbs very close together. Fill the container to the top with more stones or gravel. If you use rock that is not attractive you may want to cover the stones with green moss. If you used polished aquarium stone, you will not want to hide the stones.

Water your bulbs and place in a cool (40 to 50 degrees) place. A refrigerator will work if you have room.

The bulbs need to be stored in a cool dark location until the bulbs send up sprouts three to four inches tall. Placing the bulbs in the garage covered with a cardboard box usually works unless your garage is heated or becomes too warm.

The best bet is in the refrigerator, without a light. But refrigerators can become too cold. If after one week in the refrigerator you see no growth from the bulbs, then remove them from the refrigerator and place in the garage under a cardboard box.

After the shoots are three to four inches tall, uncover the bulbs and place in a sunny window until the flowers open. You can place the bulbs out on the patio during the warm part of the day and bring them back into the house for the late afternoon, night and morning. If you leave them in the window turn the container daily so they will grow straight. Make sure that the bulbs are being watered properly.

Paper white narcissus normally take six weeks for the first flowers and about seven weeks for full bloom. That means you need to plant between Nov. 6 and 13. You can buy your bulbs now and store in the refrigerator until then. If you wait, there may not be any bulbs left in the nurseries to purchase.

You can also force hyacinths, tulips and almost any other flower bulb. You can also plant the bulbs into a nice container with potting soil, be sure to plant the bulbs about two inches deep, and follow the previous instruction. After the bulbs have finished blooming it is best to discard the bulbs. Since these bulbs were forced, it takes several years for the forced bulbs to bloom properly again.