Issue: October 4, 2003

Reblooming paperwhite narcissus

If I plant paperwhites indoors in a bowl of marbles and water, will they re-bloom this winter if I cut the stalks of the flowers produced this fall? How do I store and what do I do to the bulbs once blooming is done so that I can use them next year?

It is unlikely for the paperwhite narcissus to re-bloom in the winter following blooming in the fall. In fact, when paperwhites are forced to bloom in marbles and water, they are often discarded afterwards. The reason for this is that the food stored in the bulbs is depleted by blooming, and the marbles and water cannot provide the nutrients that they normally take from the soil. Use of diluted fertilizer in the water may help, but indoor light conditions are usually a limiting factor. The second consideration is that the leaves must grow, and after they go dormant a new flower bud must form. This is unlikely in the time frame you are considering and under the "marbles and water" growing conditions.

I would suggest that you pot the paperwhites in potting soil or plant them outdoors after fall flowering. They should produce leaves next spring and then replenish the stored food in the bulbs. They can then be left in the ground (they are hardy in most of New Mexico), or they may be dug and forced to bloom again indoors. It is much easier to buy new bulbs for forcing, and allow the old bulbs to establish themselves in the garden for a few years. (One year in soil may or may not provide sufficient replenishment for the bulbs.)

Ficus hardiness

I have a 28-year-old ficus tree on an enclosed screen porch. What are the lowest outdoor temperatures that it can tolerate?

It is unlikely for the paperwhite narcissus to re-bloom in the winter following blooming in the fall. In fact, when paperwhites are forced to bloom in marbles and water, they are often discarded afterwards. The reason for this is that the food stored in the bulbs is depleted by blooming, and the marbles and water cannot provide the nutrients that they normally take from the soil. Use of diluted fertilizer in the water may help, but indoor light conditions are usually a limiting factor. The second consideration is that the leaves must grow, and after they go dormant a new flower bud must form. This is unlikely in the time frame you are considering and under the "marbles and water" growing conditions.

A ficus tree can probably withstand 32 degrees or lower for a very short period. However, for night-long periods of time, it is best to keep it above 50 degrees F. An hour or more at freezing temperatures can kill the ficus. Extended periods of time (hours) below 40 degrees and perhaps slightly higher temperatures can result in "chilling injury" (damage to the plant at temperatures above freezing). This is because the ficus is a tropical tree and cannot adapt to low temperatures.

Marisa Y. Thompson, PhD, is the Extension Horticulture Specialist, in the Department of Extension Plant Sciences at the New Mexico State University Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center, email: desertblooms@nmsu.edu, office: 505-865-7340, ext. 113.

For more gardening information, visit the NMSU Extension Horticulture page at Desert Blooms and the NMSU Horticulture Publications page.

Send gardening questions to Southwest Yard and Garden - Attn: Dr. Marisa Thompson at desertblooms@nmsu.edu, or at the Desert Blooms Facebook.

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