Drunken Plants Add to Holiday Festivities

Paper whites, a small, pale Narcissus, are one of the easiest bulbs to force indoors. We’re so used to seeing them in pots that we forget they also make wonderful outdoor flowers. If you’re hoping to have some in bloom this winter, now’s the time to get started forcing paper whites into bloom for winter color.

And here's an odd little tip for people plagued by top heavy paperwhites falling out of their pots. Researchers at Cornell University have studied the effect of watering paperwhites with a dilute alcohol solution (It seems there’s someone out there studying just about everything.) and found that this method of watering will stunt the height of the plant, but not the size the flowers or their duration of bloom. So giving your paperwhites a nip or two will produce stockier plants that can support themselves. This may be the only incidence of alcohol helping to keep something steady on its feet. Want to give it a try? Here’s how to water your paperwhites with booze.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.