![shutterstock paperwhite2 how to force paperwhites](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/paperwhite2.jpg)
HOW TO FORCE PAPERWHITES, STEP-BY-STEP
1 | PLANT THE BULBS right side up in soil or among pebbles 4 inches deep.
2 | SUPPORT THE BULBS WITH PEBBLES, but do not bury within them. The roots will be the only element of the bulb below the surface.
3 | IT’S OKAY TO “CROWD” THE BULBS. Paperwhites look better when they blossom en masse.
4 | PLACE IN A COOL ROOM with strong indirect sunlight.
5 | WATER SO THAT only the roots and underside of the bulb get the liquid. Keep the water consistent and do not submerge the bulb, otherwise it will rot.
6 | BLOSSOMS WILL appear in about 4 weeks. You may need to stake the stems to help support the heads, and deadhead flowers that have died for the continued health of the rest of the flowers.
![paperwhite1 how to force paperwhites](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/paperwhite1.jpg)
Paperwhite narcissus bulbs starting to sprout in gravel. Photo: Shutterstock