9 Ways to Get Your Paperwhites to Rebloom

Paperwhites bring a bouquet of cheer with their crisp white blooms, and varieties with a light, sweet fragrance are especially delightful. For many of us, they grace the indoor display over the holidays, brightening up chilly winter days. The daffodil relatives are hardy in USDA zones 8-11 (sometimes 7), with a natural late-winter bloom cycle.

Indoors, we force them to bloom earlier by providing warm temperatures and moisture to initiate budding. They grow easily in a variety of mediums, from a pebbled tray of water to a bulb vase to pots and garden beds.

Remove Spent Blooms

Spring-flowering bulbs like paperwhites, daffodils, and tulips benefit from removing faded blooms. If you’re hoping to extend their vigor, this is especially helpful for the bulb.

Deadheading prevents the plant from producing seeds. The energy that would go into seed production goes instead into food storage for the bulb. If flowers are wilting and dropping petals, it’s time to cut off the flower head. If the stem is green and strong, leave it in place to continue photosynthesizing. More likely, it will be thin and floppy; cut it off at the base if so.

Keep The Leaves

After flowering, leaves die back for summer dormancy. While Narcissus’ strappy leaves aren’t as attractive without their ornamental flowers, it’s important to leave them in place as they continue to absorb sunlight and nutrients for the bulb. Removing leaves too early means hindering paperwhite development and potentially preventing reblooming.

Remove leaves when they turn yellow or brown and easily separate from the base. Yellow leaves mean they’re no longer working to support growth, and the bulb is entering its rest phase. For paperwhites in soil, this can be anytime from April to July. Those in water may fade within about eight weeks of blooming.

Move Them Outside

Moving paperwhites outside in spring is an easy way to nurture bulbs as they prepare for dormancy. In warm climates, plant them directly in the ground to establish for year-round outdoor growing. In cool climates, if your potted specimen still shows green leaves after the threat of frost passes, move pots outside until leaves turn yellow and dormancy ensues. You can also maintain them as a houseplant until foliage dies back, keeping the soil evenly moist as usual.

Narcissus grow best in full sun to partial shade, including dappled light under a tree canopy. Sunlight promotes the best flowering and health. Well-draining soils are essential, especially during the dormancy period. Prolonged periods of soggy conditions make them susceptible to bulb and root rot. Evenly moist soils are best during the growing season, while drier conditions in the warm season promote perennializing.

For in-ground plantings, add a layer of compost and mulch to help regulate soil temperatures, retain moisture, and suppress weeds. Unlike others in their genus, paperwhites do not require exposure to cold temperatures to initiate flowering and reblooming. They freeze without protection below zone 8.

Treating Potted Paperwhites

For specimens in pots, you’ll need to store them during summer dormancy and overwinter them indoors as protection from winter conditions. After their dormancy period in a dark, dry space, the paperwhites can move inside to (fingers crossed!) grow and rebloom.

Opt to keep them in their containers for dormancy or lift them from the soil for dry storage. To keep them in pots, move them to a dim, sheltered space like a garage or basement. Stop watering, as roots don’t uptake water or nutrients as the bulb rests.

To store them without soil, remove paperwhites from the pot post-bloom as foliage fades. Gently shake off and rinse away excess dirt. Toss any with soft spots or moldy areas. Select only solid, firm bulbs to save – these stand the best chance of regrowth in already challenging conditions. Prepare for storage with curing (see below).

Healthy bulbs may develop small baby bulbettes. If the babies are ready to grow independently, they’ll separate easily from the mother with a tug. If not, leave them attached to continue growing. Dry and plant the group together after dormancy.

Those Forced in Water

If your paperwhites rebloomed in a pebble tray or bulb vase, let the foliage naturally fade. Remove them from the vessel so they can air dry thoroughly for summer storage. Follow the guidelines below for easily curing and storing them.

Cure and Store

The bulbs need curing to remove excess moisture so they won’t weaken, become moldy, or rot in storage. To dry or “cure” paperwhites: 

Tuck the dry bulbs in for the season in a paper or mesh bag (like a citrus produce bag) or open crate. Keep them in the same dry, sheltered area, and inspect them periodically. Hang bagged bulbs to increase air circulation. Ideal storage temperatures are in the 60s (~16°C).

Repot

In October, bring the Narcissus out of storage for repotting in a well-draining potting mix. They benefit from the nutrients of the soil, which are lacking if they grow solely in water. Paperwhites are the showiest in a group and don’t mind crowding in a pot.

Water the bulbs and place the pot in a sunny spot indoors, like a south-facing window. Keep the potting mix moist but not soggy to prevent rot. In a few weeks, new leaves will emerge.

Fertilize

A fall application for previously forced bulbs helps build energy reserves (sugars and carbohydrates). For potted bulbs, an application in the fall helps them uptake nutrients and store energy for the growing season. Where hardy, in-ground plantings in healthy soils with fresh compost may not need additional fertilizer in subsequent years.

Apply a teaspoon of low-grade organic fertilizer (like a 5-10-5) at repotting after summer dormancy. Avoid getting fertilizer on the foliage, and give a cleansing rinse after applying. A single application of a granular promotes root and foliar growth and supports flowering.

Repeat

Expect to be surprised and delighted if the paperwhites rebloom. Those in the ground in warm zones perennialize for yearly blooms, while those originating from forced situations may take another season or two to flower. But you may get flowers the first year and for a few years by repeating this process.