Caring for your Paperwhites

If you purchased potted Paperwhites (Narcissus) from Helen's Garden, they will be planted in soil with a top dressing of moss. Paperwhites can also be grown in just stones or pebbles. Make sure you keep the water level just to the bottom of the bulbs so the roots are getting water, but the bulb isn't submerged and prone to rotting. Paperwhites like bright light and cooler temperatures to prevent them from growing too tall. If you keep your home very warm, you can move them to a cooler location at night. Water sparingly to prevent the bulbs from rotting. I like to add a bare branch to the center of the display to help support the leaves and blooms. Chopsticks or sticks placed in a tepee style and tied together at the top can also add support.  Add greenery and/or berried branches to dress up your pot for the holidays. Even after your blooms fade,  the foliage provides a pretty display for several weeks.
Have you ever heard that adding alcohol to the watering will stunt the growth of your Paperwhites? It's true, and here is a link to the Cornell University study that explains all about it.
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/miller/bulb/Pickling_your_Paperwhites.pdf