Planting paperwhites for Christmas
I love these in glass vases, planted into grit.
Double check you have the variety of narcissi, there is no obvious way of making a distinction, but some require chilling and some do not. They are all a form of Tazette, but some are from warmer, mediterranean climates, and some are used to some winter chill. For Christmas blooms, you need the ones who like the warm.
Look for:
‘Ziva’ – the most famous and widely sold. Very fast (4–6 weeks from planting to bloom). Strong scent which very much divides opinion.
‘Inbal’ – softer fragrance, slightly creamier flowers, about 5–7 weeks to bloom.
‘Ariel’ – elegant and compact, slightly slower (6–8 weeks).
‘Galilee’ – refined, later flowering, with cooler white tones.
If planting them yourself, do so in mid November, with the narcissi bulbs just below the soil surface. You can go this in pots about 2.5cm apart into a loam-based compost, lightened with some grit. Or, my favourite, nestle bulbs in a bowl of pebbles and water (the water should just touch the bottom of the bulb, but not cover where the roots come from. Keep warm and dark (18–20°C) for 2 weeks until roots form. (I’ll renind you, don’t worry.) Move to a bright, cool spot (~13°C) for steady growth and sturdy stems.
Support with decorative twigs, or tie stems with raffia if they loll about dramatically. A shot of vodka every so often will keep them strong.
If you accidentally find yourself with the wrong sort, the ones that need chilling, it’s fine. They will just have to brighten up your January, but it’s not going to get the timing right for Christmas. These are:
‘Erlicheer’ – creamy, double, rose-scented flowers. Needs 4–6 weeks of cold (around 9°C).
‘Grand Soleil d’Or’ – a gem of yellow and orange, but must have 3–4 weeks of chilling.
‘Cragford’ – elegant white with orange cups; likes 4–6 weeks cold.
‘Constantinople’ – double and richly scented; again, a good chill improves bloom quality.
Pot up in compost and water lightly. Store the pots somewhere cold, with a temperature below 10°C. Keep the compost moist but not dripping wet. Once they have had their time in the cellar, bring them in to a warm place. The shoots should be around 5cm tall. Expect flowers 6–8 weeks later.