Narcissus Bulb Selection: Large or Small? Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and the Reason for Cutting Bulbs

Narcissus is a favorite of many people. Unlike other perennial herbaceous flowers of the bulbous type, it has the characteristics of beginning growth in autumn, blooming in winter, storing nutrients in spring, and going dormant in summer. So if you want to plant narcissus, is it better to choose large bulbs or small ones? How do you plant them? Why should the bulbs be cut?

1. Is it better to choose large or small narcissus bulbs?

Judging by size alone, large bulbs are better than small ones, but the selection of narcissus bulbs should take the following aspects into consideration.

(1) Look at the shape: High-quality narcissus bulbs are generally large, flattened, and hard, with relatively wide spacing between the longitudinal veins of the skin, the middle membrane stretched very tight, glossy skin color, a broad and thick root plate, and symmetrical small bulbs growing beside the main bulb.

(2) Observe the color: Seen from the outside, bulbs that are dark brown, with intact membrane, bright luster, and no traces of rot or insect damage are top grade.

(3) Press: Pressing is the main method for selecting and identifying how many flower scapes a narcissus has. You can pinch the bulb between your thumb and index finger and press slightly. If the outline feels columnar, elastic, and relatively firm, it is a flower scape; if it feels soft and loose, with a flat outline and slightly poorer elasticity, it is mostly a leaf bud.

(4) Ask about the grade: Narcissus production areas generally use bamboo baskets of the same size for packaging, with four packaging specifications of 20, 30, 40, and 50 bulbs per basket, commonly known as 20 grade, 30 grade, 40 grade, and 50 grade. The fewer the number packed per basket, the larger the individual bulbs. Larger bulbs have more numerous and sturdier flower stems, and the flower buds contain more flowers.

2. Why should narcissus bulbs be cut?

1. It allows the flower buds to grow out as early as possible, because cutting the bulb cuts open the outer skin wrapping the flower buds.

2. After cutting, the flower buds grow more robustly, because after cutting they do not need to use extra nutrients to break through the outer skin.

3. This point is more favorable for flower enthusiasts who enjoy carving; cutting the bulb can also be done together with carving, creating different plant shapes for it.

4. It can enhance the ornamental value of the plant, especially during the flowering period. This is because when cutting the bulb, the yellowed, dried, and shriveled outer skin can all be removed, which serves a cleaning function.

Cutting method:

1. Make the cut right in the middle between the two side buds, with a cutting depth of about 1 cm of the bulb wall thickness. Friends need not worry about cutting the middle bud, because the middle bud generally grows right in the center of the whole bulb and is very thin, while the bulb thickness is far greater than 1 cm.

2. After cutting one side, turn to the back and make another cut in the same way, then pry it open along the cut seam.

3. How do you plant narcissus?

Narcissus likes sunlight and warmth, requires high air humidity, is not very cold-tolerant, and fears heat. During the vegetative growth period it needs moist but non-waterlogged sandy soil.

There are two methods for cultivating narcissus: water culture and soil culture.

1. Narcissus water culture method

(1) First peel off the black old stem slices of the bulb and scrape the old roots of the bulb clean. When scraping the old roots, be careful not to damage the roots of the white stems and leaves, where there are many root buds preparing to grow out.

(2) After cleaning, according to the number and position of the sprouting buds, use a knife to make a vertical cut at roughly the left and right 1/3 positions of the bulb. Do not damage the sprouting buds, otherwise the leaves that grow out will have knife wounds.

(3) After all are handled, soak the bulbs in clean water, or rinse the wounds under a faucet, to wash away the mucus seeping from the wounds. If rinsed clean, the knife wounds will not be so dark in color afterward and will not turn black.

(4) Place the treated narcissus upright in a shallow narcissus pot, adding water to submerge one third of the bulb. Quartz sand, pebbles, etc. can be used in the pot to secure the bulb.

(5) During the day, the narcissus pot should be placed in a sunny place, and moved indoors at night, with the water in the pot poured out, to control leaf etiolation. Add clean water again the next morning, and be careful not to change the direction of the bulb. When first potted, narcissus can be given fresh water once a day, afterward once every 2-3 days, and after the flower buds form, once a week. Narcissus grows well at 10-15 degrees, blooms in about 45 days, and the flowering period can last over a month.

2. Narcissus soil culture method

(1) In mid-to-late October, use fertile sandy soil to plant large bulbs in a small flower pot with holes, planting half and leaving half exposed. Some fine sand should be placed under the bulb in advance to facilitate drainage.

(2) Place the flower pot indoors with sufficient sunlight and suitable temperature. 4 to 12 C is best. Too low a temperature easily causes freezing damage, while too high a temperature combined with insufficient light easily causes spindly growth, weak plants, and a short flowering time, reducing ornamental value.

(3) During management, if the light and temperature requirements are met, the leaves will be thick and large and the flower stems sturdy, thus enabling the flowers to bloom large and remain fragrant for a long time. For soil-cultured narcissus, apply liquid fertilizer two to three times before flowering.