This was my first year to plant Paperwhites , so after I decorated my kitchen counter...
I started to get my supplies together
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| I gathered my Ironstone Tureens |
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| Removed the lids |
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| Got my potting soil and 10 bulbs, I got my bulbs from a local shop Thyme in the Garden |
I planted the paperwhite bulbs in soil and in one bowl covered with my river glass from the French Board River. I added water. Now I learned of a hint to get the paperwhites compact so they won't flop over....
Flowerbulb Research Program
at Cornell University
has found a simple and effective way to reduce stem and leaf
growth of paperwhites. The
“secret” is using dilute solutions of alcohol. Properly used, the result is paperwhites that
are 1/3 to ½ shorter, with equal sized flowers that last as
long as normal.
What to do
and the shoot is green and growing about 1-2” above the top
of the bulb. At this point,
pour off the water and replace it with a solution of 4 to 6%
alcohol, made from just about
any “hard” liquor.
You can do the calculations to figure the dilution, but, as an example,
to get a 5% solution from a 40% distilled spirit (e.g., gin,
vodka, whiskey, rum, tequila),
you add 1 part of the booze to 7 parts of water. This is an 8-fold dilution yielding 5%
alcohol.
Then, simply use this solution, instead of water, for
further irrigation (watering) of your
bulbs. It’s as simple
as that. The result will be a plant that
is 1/3 shorter.
So we will see in about 3 weeks if this works!! Di
Joining some friends
