Growing Your Own Narcissus

Are you hoping for a visit from the auspicious narcissus on Chinese New Year's Day? Li Ke, a florist at the Chienkuo Flower Market in Taipei, has shared with us his experience from decades of raising daffodils.

Whether or not a narcissus bulb will "pretend to be garlic" (not flower), has actually been determined before it ever goes on sale. When a narcissus has bloomed and the bulb is still in the ground, its scale leaves begin to differentiate, and after the bulbs are harvested and placed in storage, buds begin to form within them. As long as there is appropriate temperature and moisture, they can grow and blossom, drawing from their own reservoir of nourishment. "If only there is water, there will be narcissi." This is why the selecting the right bulb is very important.

Li Ke says that when narcissi are imported, they are classified according to the number of flower stems in each bulb. There may be as few as one or as many as eight. When you purchase your bulb, first ask its classification. Then choose a plump one that has no bruises, damage from disease (yellow and green fungi) or insect bites (brownish specks). Next, feel the bulb with your fingers to make sure the wider side of the bulb is soft and spongy, and the narrower side of the bulb feels tightly filled. If it is not so, the buds will be few and small. In addition, make sure there are no dry, brown new roots growing out from the bottom.

Check to see if the shoot at the top of the bulb is more than 3cm in length; this indicates that the bulb's storage environment was not good or was too damp, which makes it likely that the bulb is unhealthy.

Li Ke reminds us that after picking out a healthy bulb, remember to cut openings in the top of the bulb before you put it in water. Cut two 2cm openings, on either side of the top of the bulb, to help the shoots grow evenly. Be careful not to make the cuts too deep-no deeper than three or four layers-otherwise, they will wound the buds. Putting the bulb in water at the right time so that it will blossom just as the holidays arrive is also a science in itself. Li's secret: To have the bulbs bloom on New Year's day, place them in water 30 days in advance; to have them bloom for the Lantern Festival, place them in water 20 to 25 days in advance.

Of course, the most crucial factor is temperature. Outside of Taiwan, generally speaking, in places where the average temperature lies around 10_C, you should put your bulb in the water 40 days in advance of the time you want it to blossom. If the temperature is around 15_C, schedule it 30 days in advance. If the temperature is 20_C, 20 days will do. Furthermore, remember that the water in the basin must not be too deep; inundate the roots only. The water must be frequently changed.

After the bulb is placed in the water, if the air temperature changes dramatically, you can put the whole basin that holds the narcissus bulb into a bigger container, then adjust the temperature of the bulb by adding either hot water or ice cubes. In addition, if the holidays are approaching and it looks like the bulb in the basin is intent upon being an "elegant garlic," don't worry. You can try to hasten the process by placing the bulb 50-70cm away from a 60-watt light-bulb. Expose it to the light for 15 hours a day.

May your narcissi bloom splendidly and your New Year be full of good fortune!

A specially designed knife is used to cut open the narcissus bulb. First insert the knife approximately one-fifth of the way into the bulb. Slowly cut away the scale leaves, until the leaf buds and flower buds are exposed. Then choose the bud you wish to make curved. Carefully cut away the sides of the leaf buds. The bigger the cut in the bud, the more curvy the shoot will be. Just cut open the husks of the buds you don't want to make curvy. After you finish, soak the bulb in clean water and rinse the cut every day until no sap leaks out. Then cover the cut with a cotton bandage, and grow it in water. The daffodils that have been cut will blossom five days earlier than otherwise. (demonstrated by Li Ke, photo by Vincent Chang)

（photo courtesy of Li Ke）

（drawn by Lee Su-ling）