February is a great time to force paperwhites indoors. While, for many, it’s a tradition to force paperwhites to bloom around Christmas, you’ll get much bigger and brighter blooms a little later in February.
The best thing about forcing paperwhites a little later in the year is that you’ll get great blooms that can help fight away the winter blues during the darkest and dreariest parts of the season.
Forcing paperwhites is so simple that anyone can do it. It’s a great activity to do with your kids while it’s too cold to play outside. Plus there are many varieties of paperwhites that are available, ranging from all white flowers to those composed of both light yellow and white.
What are paperwhites?
Narcissus papyraceus are one of a few species known as paperwhite. It is a perennial bulbous plant native to the Mediterranean region around Greece all the way to Portugal and Morocco plus Algeria. The species is considered naturalized in the Azores, Corsica, Texas, California and Louisiana and can be planted outdoors where it will spread. The white flowers stem from branches that erupt from the center of the plant and the flowers are strongly fragrant. Paperwhites are part of the genus Narcissus which includes plants known as daffodils.
How to Force Paperwhites
Forcing paperwhites is a relatively simple task and the steps are as follows:
First find Paperwhite bulbs after October 1st in a local garden center or online. Some of our favorite sources for bulbs are:
Then, choose a container for forcing paperwhite bulbs. The container should hold at least 3 to 5 inches (8-13 cm.) of soil and have drainage holes.
Next, set bulbs in a standing pan of water and allow them to absorb the liquid for an hour or so and then remove and let drain.
For best results, place them in a south exposure window and then again, as they begin to flower, move to a cooler area with indirect light.
The best part is that if you force a set of Paperwhites every week or two you will get a continuing profusion of flowers all winter long!