Will a Paper White Narcissus Rebloom?

Potting Method

• There are two primary potting methods for forcing bulbs. The bulbs are planted in soil or set in a shallow tray of pebbles. The pebble method provides the bulb with no nutrients and prevents the paperwhites from surviving beyond a single season. Pot the bulbs in potting soil if you wish to rebloom the paperwhites the following year. Use a pot with bottom drainage holes and fill it with a quality potting soil. Five bulbs fit well in an 8 to 10 inch diameter pot.

Plant Care

• Paperwhites require ongoing care after they finish flowering if you want them to bloom again. Cut off the flowers after they wilt but leave the foliage, so it continues absorbing sunlight and energy until the bulbs go dormant. Set the pots in a warm, sunny window or place them outside if frost danger has passed. Fertilize them every two weeks with a liquid plant food formulated for bulb plants. Regularly water them so the soil remains moist in the pot. Trim off the foliage once it dies back.

Replanting

• There are several options for saving the bulbs after the foliage dies and the paperwhites go dormant. Keep the bulbs in the pots and continue providing just enough water so the soil doesn't completely dry out. In a warm climate without winter freezing, replant the bulbs outdoors in a sunny, well-draining garden bed. Another option is planting the bulbs outside in summer and digging them up in the fall before the first frost. Replant the bulbs in a pot indoors immediately after digging.

Reblooming

• Paperwhites send up new foliage in the spring or early summer the following year. If repotted indoors in the fall or early winter, they may send up foliage earlier. Resume regular watering and fertilization once the new foliage emerges but stop fertilizing once flower buds form. Paperwhites may not rebloom, even when given proper care. It depends on how much stress the bulbs suffered during the previous forcing period. It may also take up to 2 years for the bulbs to replenish themselves sufficiently for a second blooming period.