how to keep your paperwhites from flopping over

A friend gave me some paperwhite bulbs just after Christmas, and I had great luck with them for the first time thanks to a trick I discovered while poking around on "The Google". First, a photo of these lovelies in bloom. Then I'll share the simple trick that has kept them looking great.

If you've ever tried forcing paperwhite bulbs, you know that the biggest challenge is that they keep growing, and growing, and growing...until suddenly they become so tall and heavy that they can no longer stay upright without help of some kind. Mark, who gave me the bulbs, tells me that he always grows them in a tall glass container, so the sides can support the top-heavy growth. I've seen others try tying a ribbon or some raffia around the cluster of plants, with mixed results.

But here's the amazing trick I discovered while surfing around to see what tips I could find online: All you have to do is get your paperwhites a little drunk.

Yup. The key to gorgeous paperwhites is ALCOHOL. Get the bulbs started as you normally would, with a bed of pebbles and water coming just to the bottom of the bulbs. (If the bulbs sit in the water, they'll rot.) Then just keep them watered until they develop growth a couple inches tall. At that point, drain the water out and replace it with a mixture of 1 part hard liquor to 7 parts water. Use something like gin, vodka, or rum -- nothing sweet. You can also use rubbing alcohol, but you need to dillute it more. Then just keep watering it with that same mixture. Your room will smell a little bit like a distillery, but your flowers will look fabulous!

Click here to read the white paper from Cornell's Flower Bulb Research Program, explaining how and why this works.

If you want to try your own hand at forcing paperwhite narcissus bulbs, you can order them online from White Flower Farm.