Winter Gardening – Growing Paperwhites Indoors

I picked up some paperwhites at The Home Depot sale yesterday.  I plan on growing them in my kitchen window so that they will be ready for my holiday table.  They are super easy to grow indoors, and by the time the gray days of winter set in, it’s kind of nice to bring the outdoors in.

They also work as a fantastic last minute birthday or hostess gift if you are in a pinch, because you can simply take them off of your counter and hand them to someone {not that I’ve every done that before or anything}. 😉

You’ll Need:

• A container {only about 3-4″ deep} with no drainage holes
• Gravel or polished rocks
• Paperwhites
• Moss {optional}

Directions:

Put about 2″ of gravel or polished rocks in the bottom of your container and spread it out evenly.  Set the bulbs on top of the gravel, pointed end up. I like to pack ’em in there, because they end up looking better in a big bunch.  Add another layer of gravel on top, but leave the pointed tops uncovered. I always like to add a little bit of moss on top of the gravel/rocks because I think it looks kind of cool {and HELLO, I have oodles of it}.

Add water to the container–enough that the water reaches the bottom of the bulb.  Careful not to cover the bulb with water, though, or it will rot. Store the container in a cool dark place until they start to develop roots.  You may need to add water every so often.  When the roots form, move the container to a sunny window sill and let them bloom.  Once they have bloomed, move them away from direct light, and they will last longer–which is perfect, because that’s about when you’ll want to put them on the table.

Happy planting,

~ Mavis