Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

How to Force Chinese Sacred Lily for Indoor Blooming

Narcissus in the garden.
Introduction: The Chinese Sacred Lily is not a lily at all. And I have no idea why it is called the Chinese Sacred Lily. It is actually a variety of narcissus. There are two varieties. One is a single flower with a yellow cup in the center. The other is a double flower with yellow petals in the middle. It is the yellow petals that emit a frangrance that smells somehwhat like dishwashing liquid. The plant is cultivated commercially in the Fukien (Fujian) Provice of China. Every year who knows how much of multiple-nosed bulbs are shipped overseas to Hong Kong and the United States for the overseas Chinese to enjoy. The imported bulbs are very expensive. But they are larger and usually comes attached with baby bulbs. Forcing them to bloom indoors is actually a developed form of art. The bulbs are usually forced about 3 weeks prior to Chinese New Year! The blooms are symbols of abundance, just as Americans use the term "fruits of abundance

 Materials Needed: a bulb, a 1 1/2 -2-inch deep dish, small pepples

How to force: The object of forcing is to make them bloom indoors in a unique way. One objective is to keep the leaves short and wide. Otherwise, the leaves would become long and flop over. That is a no-no. The way to force is to physically mutillate the bulbs. 1. Peel all the brown layers. 2. Cut the top third of the bulb off. 3. Cut 3 slits from the top, to the base of the bulb. Make sure the center of the bulb is not cut. The resulting bulb should look like a lily bulb, with multiple scales. Place the bulb in the dish. Add pebbles and water. The lower half of the bulb should be in water.

Post Flowering: Plant the bulb in a sunny location as soon as the flowers fade. Don't expect the plant to bloom next year, but the year after. Forcing is a very energetically expensive process.
 
 

Home || Michelia alba || Other Michelia species || Other Fragrant Plants || How to Force Bulbs|| Odd Medicinal Plants

Mountain View, CA 94040

Due to the Amount of SPAM I get, No More Email!

Last updated December 18, 2000