Paperwhite Bulb

Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus, a sub-species of Narcissus tazetta) are popular indoor plants for winter and the holiday season. Unlike other narcissus, paper whites don't require a chilling period, so forcing them is as easy as putting the bulbs in water and waiting. The fragrant flowers bloom within about 3 weeks of planting, for almost instant gratification. 

How to Force Paper Whites

Paperwhites are the original “Just Add Water” plant. While paperwhite bulbs can be planted in soil, more commonly they are grown in pots or dishes with some stones or marbles to anchor them in place and a little water. When planting in soil, ensure the pot has a drainage hole and that the soil dries partially before being water again. For forcing in water:

• Select a container that is about 3 - 4 inches deep (8 - 10 cm) and that has no drainage holes.
• Spread an inch or 2 of stones, marbles or even gravel, along the bottom of the container.
• Position your paper white bulbs, pointed end up, on top of the stone layer. Go ahead and squeeze them in. They not only look better in a large group, the tight fit will help keep them from toppling over.
• Add another layer of stones to fill in any gaps and cover the bulbs up to their shoulders. The pointed tips should still be showing.
• Add water so that the level just reaches the base of the bulbs. Allowing the bottom of the bulb to sit in water will stimulate growth. Covering the entire bulb with water could cause it to rot. 
• The bulbs don’t need light at this point and they prefer to be kept on the cool side, at about 65 degrees F (18 degrees C.)
• Check your bulbs daily to see if they need more water.
• When you see roots developing, move the container to a sunny window. The sunnier the better, but try not to let them get too warm or they’ll grow leggy. 
• Once the plants flower, they will last longer if moved out of direct sunlight, to a cool spot with indirect or diffused light. 

You can start pots of paper whites every couple of weeks, for a continuous display throughout the winter.

Delivery

• Delivery fees are dynamic according to volume ordered and are priced by zip code.
• Delivery fee is charged on top of order total.
• We will either use a third party delivery service or our own in house driver at our discretion.  
• Deliveries will be anytime between the hours of 11-6 on the day selected. While we can not guarantee specific time frames, we will do our best to accommodate your preference of timeframe if noted.  
• If it is a residential delivery with no doorman, we will reach out to the recipient to arrange delivery prior to scheduling.
• All deliveries are curbside.  Driver will not set and place inside home or business. 
• If the delivery is returned to Sprout Home due to the recipient not being available, an invoice will be sent to the purchaser for payment due for redelivery.

Pick Up

• Pick up orders will be automatically processed for requested day of pick up between the hours of 11-6.
• Please note which store you are picking up from when ordering.  We have two storefronts in Chicago and product availability can vary depending on order. 

Shipping

• We ship USPS priority and USPS ground advantage within the Continental USA.  We do not currently accept international orders.
• Timing and fees vary depending on delivery location and size and weight of package.  
• We will normally get your package out within 3 business days. 
• Not all items are shippable. All live plants and fresh floral are included in those items that we do not ship, they are available for local delivery or Chicago pick up only. The cart will not let you check out with shipping selected if there are only delivery or pick up items available.
• Items that are available to ship you will see a 'this item is available for shipping' logo on the item description.
• If a package is returned due to insufficient address we will contact sender for clarification and will need to charge for additional shipping.