Have you ever heard of forcing paperwhites with alcohol (the kind we drink)? I heard this from a friend recently and immediately thought it was bogus. What do you think? — Caroline

A common problem when forcing paperwhites indoors is that they grow too tall, and the leaves and flower stalks tend to be floppy and bend over. The alcohol makes them grow shorter and reduces floppiness.

I must admit, I’ve heard lots of off-the-wall gardening recommendations over the years, and my initial reaction to using alcohol (ethanol) when forcing paperwhites was quite skeptical. However, I found research conducted at Cornell University that supports this finding. Here’s how to do it.

Plant the bulbs in containers of pebbles with water. Wait until the roots are growing, and the green shoots are about 1

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