No matter what I do, the paperwhite narcissus bulbs that I force to bloom, flop over. The thin stalks just can't hold up the heavy flowers.
Here are a few ideas on how to keep them propped up.
- Plant your narcissus bulbs in a tall narrow jar. The advantage of a tall glass jar is that even if they flop, the jar will contain them.
- Make a corral for wayward greenery. Take four or five bamboo stakes and push them down into the rocks or soil at the edge of your container. Wrap around them with ribbon or raffia, which you can move as the paperwhites grow. Try to do this before you have floppage, because sometimes the stalks will bend so far that they will fold. Once this happens, you have to cut them and put them in a vase with water.
- Use cranberries or plastic fruit for props. This not only props up your paperwhite narcissus, it adds color and form to your arrangement. This works particularly well in a tall jar.
