According to Gilman Hu, the Honolulu architect who has done more than anybody else to maintain the art of narcissus culture here, the time is now.
"The Year of the Ox begins Feb. 7," he said, "and it takes anywhere from 26 to 30 days from the time of soaking for the bulb to bloom."
The soaking takes one to four days. Of course there is the cop-out of buying a plant at a nursery, but that's the difference between writing personal notes on your Christmas cards or having your name printed. It costs less, too.
"A top quality bulb imported from China costs about $2. A well-grown blooming plant now costs about $5. Ten years ago, you would pay anywhere from $15 to $40 for a good plant, but now growers are importing thousands of bulbs here for the holiday."
Hu's first advice for cultivating narcissi from bulbs is to buy the imported Chinese bulbs, "and buy the best you can afford," he said. They are available at many Chinatown shops and a few garden shops, but check on the source. Some come from the mainland or from Holland, and Hu says they aren't as good. The best ones come from Zhangzhou, the narcissus capital of China, Hu said.
When shopping for bulbs, choose firm ones with no roots, indicating that they have been properly stored in a cool, dark, dry place for at least a year. Narcissus bulbs are onion shaped, pointed at the top where the blossom will emerge and flat at the bottom where the roots will grow. (Don't plant them upside down - you will be very disappointed.)
Attached to the main bulb there will be several smaller bulbs, growing down or sideways. Remove all the downward-growing bulbs, which may be planted separately, and leave only the lateral bulbs, opposite each other in a straight line. Then peel off and discard the brown skin, which is similar to onion skin, exposing the white bulb.
The next step is the most important. With a very sharp, narrow-bladed knife - Hu uses something that would probably take out tonsils - cut four slashes in the top (pointed end) of the bulb. The slashes should form a cross, and be about 3/4 of an inch deep.
"This releases the pressure on the interior of the bulb, which would otherwise tear it as the flower grows," he explained. "This allows all the flowers to come out at once.It's like having a four-car garage and a single lane driveway. The cars would have to come out one at a time. But if you have a driveway wide enough, they can all come out at once."
Now you are ready to soak the bulbs, fully covered in water, for 24 to 72 hours. Hu suggests putting a plate over the top of the bowl to keep the bulbs completely submerged. The water will get slick and slimy, and should be changed daily.
If the weather is warm, 24 hours may be enough, but in cooler weather soak them for a longer period. Tiny, almost invisible bumps will appear around the base of the bulb, and these are the early root formation.
Wash the bulb very carefully in cool water, being sure not to disturb the young root growth. Now you are ready to anchor it in a decorative bowl or tray where it will grow and blossom.
"There is an axis across the tip of the bulb, and the two lateral offshoots must face east and west, sunrise and sunset. The leaf blade of the plant is upright, and if you plant the bulb with the side bulbs facing north and south, the leaf blade will lean toward the south, following the sun," Hu said. "Then all the leaves will lean."
Next you have to protect the bulb from sunburn. "Once the covering skin is peeled off, the bulb will burn in the sunlight. So fold a paper towel into a triangle, lay the bulb on top of it and wrap the towel around it, leaving the base of the bulb, the tip and lateral bulbs exposed.
"The water will act as a wick, and the paper will stick to the bulb like a second skin," Hu said.
Then place the protected bulb with its two smaller bulbs on an east-west axis in a shallow bowl, and anchor them with small stones to stand upright. Fill the container with tap water until the base of the bulbs are covered.
Set the container where it will have full sun at least six hours a day. Without enough sun, you will grow a beautiful stand of leaves, but no flowers. The sun will slowly evaporate the water, so be sure that the root base of the bulb is always covered. The water must be changed at least once a day, and twice is better.
In a minimum of 26 days from the time of soaking, you should have fragrant flowers.
Bulbs forced in this manner do not require fertilizer because all the nourishment needed is contained within the bulb. When the flowers wither, the nourishment is gone, and the bulb is finished.
Like a lei, and unlike many bulbs planted on the mainland that can be stored and used again the following year, the narcissus bulb is only for one glorious display. Enjoy it, and Happy New Year.
What: Free narcissus demonstration, workshop by Gilman Hu
