How to Care for Chinese Narcissus Bulbs

Obtain bulbs from a home and garden dealer or collect bulbs from existing garden specimens by separating and removing plants with a spade.

Store bulbs in a dark and dry location until you are ready to plant them. Place them in a box or bag and set them in a closet or another spot free from light exposure. Open the container so there is some air circulation to the bulbs.

Prepare an indoor planting location for forcing the bulbs indoors, if desired. Create a layer of stones 2 inches thick in a flower vase. Set the bulbs with roots facing down into the layer of stones. Anchor them in place with additional stones. Add water just below the bulbs, but avoid letting the bulbs sit in a bath of water. Set in a place with plenty of sunlight and change the water frequently.

Prepare an outdoor planting spot in full or part sun in soil that is well-draining, if you want to propagate the bulbs directly in the garden. In fall or early summer, place the bulbs about 3 inches deep in soil. Provide plenty of moisture as bulbs are rooting and growing. Without forcing, bulbs may take longer to flower and require some amount of cold time before blooming. Grown outdoors in fall, blooms appear sometime from December to February.

Fill a deep, 1-gallon pot with potting soil, if you want to grow the plant in a container. Press bulbs into the medium and cover half of them with soil. Keep moist and set in full or part sun. You can expect the bulbs to bloom in one to two months if grown this way.