Floppy Paperwhites

Every winter I force paper white bulbs into bloom.  I love the fragrance but the plants grow tall and flop.  I heard adding gin to the water will help stunt their growth.  Is this true?

Cornell University recently tested this theory.  They found that ethanol (both drinkable and non-drinkable forms) stunt the growth of paperwhites.  Their tests showed that concentrations greater than 10% could prevent flowering and even damage the plants.  Four to six percent solutions gave the best results.  Plants were 30 to 50% shorter and still produced fragrant flowers. Dr Miller recommends placing the bulbs in stones with plain water.  Replace the plain water with the alcohol fortified mix once the bulbs form roots and green shoots about 2 inches long.  Mix one cup of an 80 proof (40% alcohol) liquor with 7 cups of water to create a 5% solution. Otherwise try growing the newly planted bulbs in a cool, 50-60 degrees, dark location for two weeks.  Then move them into a warm sunny area.  The cool treatment results in shorter leaves and flower stalks.  Grow the bulbs under artificial lights or in the sunniest window available.  Low light will also cause leaves to grow long and flop over.  If this doesn't solve the problem, use an orchid cage or decorative twigs to hold the leaves upright.

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