Paperwhite Bulbs Four Weeks After Planting - December 2022

We're growing Paperwhite bulbs for the first time this holiday season.  In early November, we bought an inexpensive package of Ziva Paperwhite bulbs at the orange big box store and planted them in a glass jar with some gravel at the bottom.  A couple weeks later - and one month ago today - we decided to add a little bit of rubbing alcohol to the mix in an attempt to stunt their overall growth.  (Everything you read on the Web will tell you that Paperwhites are prone to flopping over, so the alcohol keeps them compact in size.)

With two weeks to go until Christmas, how are the Paperwhites doing?  Here, below are a few photos:



They've grown up and most of the bulbs have multiple stems (and or leaves) that have emerged.  They're not yet to the top of the jar, but a couple of them are getting close (see the last photo that shows the tips compared to the rim of the jar).  

A couple things of note here in the Paperwhite Diary.  First... is that *some* of the tips are brown.  My guess is that this is due to the alcohol that I added and (perhaps) I used a little bit too much.  Did I stunt them TOO MUCH?  

Second is that I can't quite tell the difference between flower stalks and leaves.  When you look at the Amaryllis bulbs, you can clearly tell the thin, strap-y leaves from the thick, bulbous flower stalks.  

Third, I'm wondering if we'll *ever* get blooms?  It has been more than four weeks since they rooted.  But, shouldn't these be further along?  I'm not sure.  According to this post from MiracleGro, it takes between four and six weeks to see blooms.  Perhaps we'll see them still come Christmas?

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