Buy Paperwhite Narcissus Bulbs

Paperwhites are the most popular holiday flowering bulbs, right next to amaryllis. In fact, for a truly gorgeous display, plant both so they'll bloom at around the same time. Paperwhites take about 30-40 days to bloom indoors and amaryllis can take 45-60 days to bloom, so keep that in mind when planting for an indoor display.

buy paperwhite narcissus bulbs

Bulbs are labeled with numbers such as 15+ cm or 17+ cm or 28/30 cm and so forth. That is the circumfrence, in centimeters, of th bulb at its widest part. The best paperwhites for forcing indoors are the 17+ sized bulbs. Those are the biggest and best paperwhite bulbs you can buy. (And primarily what we sell.)

If you want a super fragrant paperwhite, Ziva paperwhites are the best choice. Nir paperwhites are another excellent choice for good fragrance. They are a newer variety that boasts even more flowers per stem than the Zivas.

Is there a truly non-fragrant paperwhite narcissus? Not really. All paperwhites have some fragrance, but a few types are less fragrant than others. If you have a sensitive sniffer, go for Wintersun (with its jaunty yellow cups) or Inball paperwhites, for a classic white flower with a less robust scent.

You can grow paperwhites outdoors if you live in zones 8, 9 or 10. All paperwhites are great for providing spring daffodil-like blooms where the weather isn't cold enough to provide the chilling that other daffodils and spring blooming bulbs require.

Wintersun is an especially wonderful paperwhite variety for growing outdoors in warm climates because its yellow cups make the flowers look more like traditional daffodils, but without the chilling requirement.

We recommend the 17+ cm sized bulbs for indoor forcing, but outdoors, when you're planting paperwhites in large sweeps or in groups of 10 or more, the 15/16 cm paperwhite bulbs will give you plenty of show!

For planting outdoors, buy paperwhites in bulk. (Some of our bulk paperwhites are 15/16 bulbs and some are 17+ bulbs. Either will work outdoors.) You can plant outdoors anytime in the fall or early winter and still enjoy beautiful spring blooms.

The premium 17+ cm sized paperwhite bulbs are the best bulbs for gifts, because they will put on the biggest show. (It's also worth thinking about whether your recepient would rather have a traditional more fragrant variety or a new variety with less fragrance.)

If you're giving paperwhites as a gift, consider sending preplanted paperwhites in a decorative container to make things easy on the recipient. All they have to do is give the bulbs some water and enjoy!

Perhaps you want to give paperwhites to many of your friends, neighbors, kids' teachers, and work colleagues. In that case, a bulk basket that you can divide up is a good choice. (You can plant the basket for your favorite recipient, too, and get multiple gifts from one!)

2. Extend the show by planting several batches of bulbs. You can do all the planting in one day and then store the pre-planted pots in a cool, dark place. When you are ready to start a new batch of bulbs, just bring out a pot and add water.

3. Try growing paperwhites in water rather than soil. It works just as well. Use stones to anchor the bulbs and keep the flowers from tipping over. Washed gravel works well, as do marble chips, polished river stones, tumbled glass or even marbles. Only the bottom half of the bulb needs to be covered with stones. As the bulb's roots grow, they will spread out under and around the stones.

4. Paperwhite bulbs can sense the presence of water. If you are growing the bulbs in water rather than soil, add only enough water to almost, but not quite touch the bottom of the bulbs. Once the roots sprout, they will reach down into the water. If water is in direct contact with the bulbs, they will soften and begin to rot.

In warm climates (growing zones 8-11) paperwhites may be planted outdoors in fall for late winter flowers. Plant the bulbs about 6" deep and 4" apart. There are only a few areas in the country (S. California and parts of Texas) that have the hot, dry weather conditions that paperwhites require for long-term success. In other areas where paperwhites are hardy (zones 8-11), the bulbs are treated as annuals.

Paperwhites are fragrant, winter-blooming flower bulbs. In frost-free climates (zones 8-11) the bulbs may be planted outdoors in fall for late winter blooms. In colder climates, paperwhite bulbs are grown indoors for flowers during the winter months. The following instructions are for growing the bulbs indoors.

Paperwhites may be grown indoors from late fall through late winter. Bloom time is determined by planting time, so if you plant a few bulbs each month, you'll be able to have paperwhites blooming all winter long.

Any bulbs that you won't be planting right away should be kept in a cool (40 to 50F), dark place. A ventilated plastic bag will help to keep the bulbs from drying out. Paperwhites are sensitive to cold temperatures, so don't let the bulbs freeze.

When paperwhites are planted indoors, they are usually grown without soil. Choose a shallow, watertight container and fill the bottom with two or three inches of small stones. Marble chips, polished stones, glass beads or washed gravel all work fine. Planting groups of five or more bulbs will give you the best show. Place the bulbs closely together (touching each other is fine) with their pointed ends up. The tops of the bulbs should be even with or slightly above the rim of the pot. Add enough stones to hold the bulbs in place, leaving the top 1/2" of the bulbs exposed.

Once the bulbs are settled in the container, add a small amount of water. The water should barely touch the base of the bulbs. Put the pot in a cool, bright location. Over the next two weeks, water sparingly, adding only enough water to maintain the same level. Once the bulbs begin growing, you'll need to replenish the water more often, but keep the level just below the base of the bulbs.

If you would rather grow your paperwhites in a pot with soil, choose a container with a drainage hole. Add several inches of growing mix and settle the bulbs in place, keeping the top quarter of the bulb above the soil surface. For best results, moisten the growing mix before adding it to the container, and then water sparingly until the bulbs have developed roots and are growing well.

In warm climates, where temperatures don't go below 20F, paperwhite bulbs may be planted outdoors in late fall for blooms in late winter. Plant the bulbs about 6" deep and 4" apart. Even in warm climates, paperwhites are usually treated as annuals. The bulbs require hot, dry summers in order to produce a good show of flowers the following year. For this reason, they are considered perennials only in Southern California and parts of Texas.

Pre-order your Paperwhite Bulbs for fall 2022 shipping season! Secure availability and wholesale pricing!Indoor Paperwhites Bulbs are very easy to grow. Buy Paperwhite Ziva Bulbs at wholesale pricing with DutchGrown for fall and winter planting! After planting, you can place the bowl/pot in direct sunlight. Don't give Paperwhites too much heat for the first two weeks, as the plant will grow too tall. Ziva can be planted in sandy soil (cactus soil), gravel, marble stroke or hydro beads. You don't need to feed the plants during their growth period, but please water your Paperwhites regularly. Each pot should contain at least three bulbs, but obviously a larger number gives a better result. Paperwhites like to be packed tightly in the pot! We supply a large size bulb with a circumference of 15/16 cm, because larger size bulbs produce the highest number of blooms. Depending on temperature, Paperwhite Ziva usually flowers three to four weeks after planting.If you want your Paperwhites to bloom during Christmas, you should plant the bulbs indoors in early November. In the Southern States where there is no danger of freezing temperatures, it is also possible to plant Paperwhites in the garden in October, November or December.

Fill the pot with 5/6 of the potting soil. Press the bulbs, with the tips pointing upward, firmly into the soil and cover with the remaining soil so that the tips of the bulbs are just showing. Keep the soil moist but do not overwater. Place the pot in a cool (5-10C), dark and ventilated spot. When the buds are 4 cm high (after 12 weeks) the pot can be placed in full daylight at normal room temperature. Turn the pot occasionally partly, as the flowers will grow towards the light.

According to The Flower Bulb Research Program at Cornell University paperwhite bulbs can be grown with shorter, sturdier stems by stunting their growth with alcohol, yet flower size will not be reduced.

Start off by watering the bulbs as you would normally do for the first week until the roots start growing and the green shoot is growing 1-2" above the bulb. Then water with 1 part alcohol mixed with 7 parts water from then on. An inexpensive vodka or really any spirit would do.

Taller vessels will use the sides to hold them together, but make sure your tall vessel is glass so the light can get through to the growing bulbs. You wouldn't want to use a tall stoneware vase for example.

Paperwhites are very toxic to both dogs and cats due to phenanthridine alkaloids found in the leaves, stem, and bulbs. These alkaloids can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, very low blood pressure, kidney damage and much more.

Thank you for this post! Forcing bulbs has actually been on my "try it out list" for awhile but this is the first write-up about it that is thorough, informative and fun to read! Thanks for all the great tips and info! ?

Oh darn. Last year's forced paperwhites were still sitting in their (dry) gravel this October, so I pulled them out and replanted them in single glass cylinders. I was THRILLED to see roots and a green shoot the very next day. I'm disappointed to read here that they seldom rebloom. I'm going to keep them going just to see, and will report back here if by chance there's a miracle. But now I'll know to get new bulbs. 041b061a72