Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5061 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Mike McQueen

Regional Extension Agent

Home Grounds, Gardens & Home Pests

November 15, 2011

Fragrant Paperwhites

A popular and easy-to-flower bulb for late fall and the holidays is the paperwhite narcissus.   Sweet smelling paperwhites can be coaxed into bloom with very little effort.  Pre-potted paperwhites can be purchased at many garden stores. All you do is add water! These potted bulbs also make a nice gift or a fun activity for children.

The correct term is actually "forcing" as you are forcing the spring-flowering bulbs to fast-forward their natural growth cycles and bloom in winter instead. Many bulbs can be forced--grape hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, and crocuses, for example--but paperwhites are probably the easiest as they don't require a long cold storage period to root.

Paperwhites produce small, star-shaped flowers that will last for several weeks. Some varieties have pure white flowers, others have white perianths (outer petals) with pale yellow "cups" in the center. Paperwhites are native to the Mediterranean. Most garden centers and seed catalogs sell bulbs for indoor forcing.

If purchasing locally, choose healthy bulbs with no soft spots or signs of discoloration.  They should be stored in a cool, dry place until time to plant.

Paperwhites will bloom about four to six weeks after planting, so plan accordingly if you want flowers for the holidays or other special occasions. For continuous bloom throughout the winter, plant bulbs every two weeks from late fall through February.

Use shallow containers, about three to four inches deep, without drainage holes. You can find these specially designed containers for forcing at many garden centers. Add about two inches of washed pebbles, or large glass beads similar to marbles (available at craft stores and some garden stores) in the bottom of the container.  If using the colorful glass beads, use a clear container so they can be seen.  Similar to other forcing bulbs, they can also be planted in pots with soil.

Gently place the bulbs, pointed side up on the gravel or beads. They should be close, but not touching. (Five bulbs will fit nicely in a six-inch pot.)  Then add enough pebbles around the bulbs to hold them in place. If using soil, make sure the bulb tops are at or above the surface.

The tricky part is watering the bulbs if not in soil. You want to add just enough water so it reaches the base of the bulbs. You don't want the bulbs to sit in water as this will cause rot. Maintain this level of water throughout the growing period. You'll probably need to replenish the water every two or three days. Don't fertilize—the bulb already contains the nutrients it needs.

Place the container in a cool, dark place (about 50 degrees F) for a few weeks until green shoots appear (but don’t forget about them). Then move to full, bright light (generally, a window with southern exposure). Too little light, and the plants will grow leggy as they stretch to reach the light. Initially, room temperature should be 60 to 65 degrees.

To prolong bloom, after the plants begin to flower, remove them from direct sunlight and place in a cooler, less sunny part of your home. Paperwhites planted indoors provide long-lasting flowers that are cheery and inexpensive.  Paperwhites can also be planted outdoors in USDA zones 8 to 11. Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor, University of Vermont was used as a resource for this article.

Health Rocks Retreat

A Health Rocks Retreat will be held at Daphne United Methodist Church Family Life Center on November 19, 2011 and is opened to youth 10 years and up. This event will start at 8:00 a.m. with registration and will end at 5:00 p.m. The Family Life Center is located at 2401 Main St., Daphne, AL (on the corner of Main Street and Santa Rosa Ave. in Old Town).

Health Rocks is a healthy living program for ages 10 years and up and is sponsored by the National 4-H Council.  The goal is to bring youth, families and communities together to reduce tobacco, alcohol and drug use by youth. The event will provide youth an opportunity to receive accurate health information regarding norms and consequences of youth tobacco, alcohol and drug use.

Each participant in the Health Rocks Retreat will receive an incentive gift and a certificate at the conclusion of the program. Lunch and snacks will be provided and the event is free to any youth or adult volunteer. Community service certificates will be presented to any volunteer for two hours or more spent in working with the event.

Over five hundred youth in Baldwin County have participated in Health Rocks during 2010 and 2011 so don’t miss this great opportunity to have fun and play games while learning about making healthy life  choices and decisions.

For more information or to register your youth or youth group, call (251) 574-8445 and ask for Ms. Charley or email: Amanda Outlaw @ outlaac@aces.edu or call 654-5934 by November 16, 2011.

Email address: mcquegj@aces.edu

Phone number: 937-7176 or 943-5061, 928-0860, ext. 2222

Baldwin County Extension Programs are supported by the Baldwin County Commission.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.