Bulbs and Alcohol
Alchol will help strengthen the flower stems of some bulbs
We know drinking and driving don’t mix. How about bulbs and alcohol? This week’s article reports on some surprising research by Professor William Miller of Cornell.
Did you know that bulbs and alcohol mix? When I first read the article in a recent issue of The Kansas City Star, I laughed and pictured Julia Child, the French Chef, working in the garden. However, the French Chef wouldn't be interested in this job. The magic formula doesn't include wine, it uses hard alcohol.
Contributed by the Associated Press, the article reported on a study by Professor William Miller. Miller, director of Cornell's Flower Bulb Research Program, has found that pouring diluted alcohol into the soil of potted bulbs will stunt the stems of paperwhite narcissus and daffodils. There is no impact on the flowers or the fragrance. The benefit is bulbs with strong stems that won't require a support ring.
The recommended formula is a four to six percent solution comprised of water and white alcohol. One part liquor (80 proof alcohol) and seven parts water will make a five percent solution. It is recommended that this is added to the soil when the new growth is several inches high.
As I'm not one to believe everything I read, I turned to my favorite extension agent to verify this story. Dennis Patton, of Kansas State University Extension and Research office, is not familiar with adding liquor to the soil. However, he e-mailed me that adding a diluted solution of hard alcohol to the vase of cut bulbs will stop the stems from elongating.
If you would like to learn more about Professor Miller's findings, click here to read Pickling Your Paperwhites.
© Susan Mertz, April 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
