How to plant indoor narcissi

Indoor flowering narcissi have a stunning fragrance and are irresistibly pretty, which is especially welcome during the dark winter months!  Wear gloves when handling and planting daffodils and narcissus bulbs and always unpack bulbs and plant on arrival. 

How to plant daffodils indoors

• Plant in good compost like John Innes No.2 with the tips out of the soil 
• Please place them in a cool, dark place for a couple of weeks to allow the roots to develop
• Check that the compost does not dry out, but don’t overwater, or the bulbs may rot
• Once shoots are established, bring them into the light in a cool room 
• They will bolt and become very long if the temperature is too high.

Tips for inddor Narcissus

Indoor narcissi can also be grown on pebbles. Just add water about 2.5 cm from the top of the pebbles. Place the narcissi so they are almost touching, and add a few more pebbles to cover halfway up the bulb. To prevent mould and rot, the base of the narcissi must not come into contact with the water.

If kept in cool conditions, they will last longer in flower, which will also help prevent them from getting long and flopping. It has been said that plying them with alcohol, such as vodka, will also help keep the stems and leaves shorter—use roughly one part alcohol to six to seven parts water. At least it will keep them merry, if not!

Narcissus paperwhite flowers around eight weeks after planting. To delay the flowering, plant two weeks apart, keep the spare bulbs in the salad drawer, and put them in the fridge.

What to do after they have flowered

Once the Paperwhites have flowered, they will not re-flower outdoors. They do not tolerate our cold winters and should be discarded. However, Narcissus Grand Soleil D’Or, Avalanche, and Erlicheer can be planted outdoors in a sheltered area. After flowering, deadhead them, allow the foliage to die naturally, and plant them outside.

All parts of daffodils and narcissus are poisonous and should not be eaten as they contain compounds which can cause stomach discomfort and nausea. The bulbs can be toxic to cats and dogs.