Growing Daffodils

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Daffodils

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The bright yellow blooms of daffodils are a wonderful sign that spring has arrived. Here’s how to plant daffodil bulbs and grow daffodil flowers in your garden!

Daffodils are hardy and easy perennials to grow in most regions of North America, except Southern Florida. Daffodils are a fall-planted bulb, so plant them in autumn and they will bloom in late winter or early spring.

The traditional daffodil flower may be a showy yellow or white, with six petals and a trumpet-shape central corona, but many variations exists today. Leafless stems bear between 1 and 20 flowers; sometimes the flowers need to be staked so that they don’t weigh down the stems.

Daffodils are suitable for planting between shrubs or in a border, or for forcing blooms indoors. They also look wonderful in a woodland garden and in large groves. You’ll find that many gardeners plant the bulbs not just by the dozens but by the hundreds! Daffodil flowers also make for great cut flowers.

Planting

Plant daffodil bulbs in the fall—about 2 to 4 weeks before the ground freezes. See local frost dates and get more tips on planting fall bulbs.
Select a site that offers full sun or partial shade.
Most daffodils tolerate a range of soils but grow best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil that is kept moist during the growing season.
Many of the popular species prefer neutral to acidic soils, but some prefer slightly alkaline soils, so consult your local nursery to see which is best for your daffodil variety.
Select high-quality daffodil bulbs that have not dried out. The larger the bulb, the better.
Plant bulbs 1-½ to 5 times their own depth. Where winters are severe, make sure there are at least 3 inches of soil covering the bulb.
Daffodils will tolerate some crowding, but they prefer to be spaced 3 to 6 inches apart.
It may help to sprinkle a little bulb fertilizer in the hole during planting. Learn more about preparing soil for planting.
Resist the temptation to uncover spring-flowering plants such as daffodils and tulips. You can loosen mulch, but the shoots will still benefit from protection against cold, drying winds.
Get more tips for growing bulbs.

Daffodils in spring

Care

Apply a low-nitrogen, high-potash (potassium) fertilizer after flowering if bulbs are not performing as desired. Learn more about soil amendments.
Water late-flowering daffodils in dry spring weather (flowers may abort in dry conditions).
Deadhead plants as flowers fade (for neater garden appearance) and allow leaves to remain for at least 6 weeks.
Lift and divide the clumps when flowering becomes sparse or the clumps congested.
After daffodils bloom in the spring, allow the plants to grow until they die off. They need time after blooming to store energy in the bulbs for next year’s bloom.
To remove the dead plants, either snip them off at the base, or twist the leaves while pulling lightly.
Once daffodils and tulips have gone by, add bonemeal to the soil for next year’s blooms.

Pests/Diseases

Daffodils are both deer-resistant and rodent-proof, as these animals do not like the taste of the bulbs in the Narcissus family.
Daffodils are also poisonous to pets, so make sure your animals don’t munch on them.
The most common problems include large narcissus bulb fly, bulb scale mite, narcissus nematode, slugs, narcissus basal rot and other fungal infections, and viruses.

Daffodils in car

Harvest/Storage

When cut, daffodils should be kept alone in a vase, as their stems secrete a fluid that promotes the wilting of other flowers. If you must combine them, soak them by themselves for as long as possible, then rinse them and add them to the arrangement last. Learn more about keeping cut flowers fresh.
Note that contact with the sap of daffodils may irritate skin or aggravate skin allergies.

Recommended Varieties

‘Golden Ducat’ is a double daffodil with pure yellow petals. It blooms in mid- to late season and grows 12 to 16 inches tall.
‘Petit Four’ is a good choice for a partially shady site. The flower has white petals with a double cup of apricot pink and grows 16 inches tall.
‘Rip van Winkle’ is a miniature double daffodil that grows 6 to 8 inches tall and looks great in a grove with many others of its kind.

Daffodils with white and orange.

Wit & Wisdom

Daffodils are a March birth flower.
Daffodils symbolize regard for someone. See more flower meanings.

Here’s some daffodil-themed prose to brighten your day:

Of Spring:
Chillier, but daffodillier.
–The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1991

Daffodowndilly
She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
“Winter is dead.”
–A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

Daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty.
–William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
–William Wordsworth, I Wander’d Lonely as a Cloud

Reader Comments

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Flooded daffys

We experienced about two feet of water in the backyard during Hurricane Florence. This water remained for several days. Is there any hope that my naturalized daffy bulbs survived?

flooded bulbs

We’re so sorry that you have experienced flooding from the hurricane! As to the daffodils, according to one Cooperative Extension publication, daffodils do not do so well after flooding. In general, these bulbs do not like wet feet, although there may be a few types that might tolerate the moisture better than others. If the water was only there for a few days (rather than a week or so), has receded now, the soil is drying, and the bulbs were initially healthy, perhaps they might just have a chance in spite of their moisture preferences. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you!

Planting flowers over daffodil bulbs

After daffodils are done, can I plant Indian blanket flowers over daffodil bulbs

LATER BLOOMING DAFFODILS

My daughter is getting married May 25th next year and is SET on daffodils for her own bouquet. When can I plant in suburban Chicago to have them bloom later in May?

Daffodil bulbs plant now or store until fall?

It’s almost July in NJ. I have just received 40 bulbs. I’m reading that I should plant them right away but if I choose to store them in a cool dry place can they all be in one paper bag or should they not be piled up or touching each other?

storing spring bulbs over the summer

You can put them into paper bags and store them in a cool, dark place. Touching is ok. But here’s an idea: You write that you just received them; if they are from a vendor/grower, you might want to consult them. As the source, they may be some special considerations.

Tulips and daffs

I went to a spring harvest today (June 5) of daffodils and tulip bulbs. Can I plant them now, or should I dry them out and plant them in the fall?

spring bulbs

Store them in peat moss, lightly dampened, in a cool, dark place and plant them in the fall.

Bark mulch

Hi My husband is no longer fit to manage the huge area of garden we have so I am working really hard to make it as easy to maintain as possible. In one area we had a magnificent show of daffodils this year. This was an area that had a lot of dense shrubbery but which I dug out with the intention of gravelling. However, as the display was so wonderful I do not now want to gravel this over and wonder if I can cover it in bark mulch? I don't want to smother the daffodils. Am I being idiotic to think that such a covering will smother weeds but not prevent our lovely 'show' next year?

gravel or mulch?

It is likely that weeds would peak through gravel as easily (maybe easier) than mulch but mulch would be easier to work with to remove them. (It’s lighter!) We would go with the mulch. And consider that you might have to add more from time to time (year to year). Sounds lovely!

Hydrangea

I've received a hydrangea from a Walmart garden center and it says it's an indoor plant I always thought you can plant them outside.

florist plants

Yes, there are “florist” plants. They were raised indoors and they’re more of a “gift” plant that lasts through their bloom. They aren’t usually bred to survive the outdoors. In a way, we’re glad the retailer is being honest about this. Many people are misled. Just keep the soil moist as it’s in a pot (but don’t let it sit in water collected at bottom of pot) and it should be easy to for indoors.

Is it too late?

I bought and planted a few dozen bulbs around in my backyard almost a month ago. Can I look forward to seeing ANY growth out of the ground before next year? Even if it’s just a few leaves (I know better to expect the blooms next year). How long does it normally take to see some green? Thank you!

Daffs planted in spring

No, you will not likely see any growth from the bulbs until spring 2019. Daffodils are “fall-planted” bulbs that bloom in the spring, which means they are typically planted in autumn. They generally need a cold spell in order to bloom. These include crocus, daffodil, iris, and tulip. See more here: https://www.almanac.com/content/planting-bulbs-spring-flowers

“Spring-planted” bulbs are those that are planted in the spring for early to late summer blooms (depending on the particular bulb; not all bloom through the summer). These include tuberous begonia, canna, dahlia, daylily, gladiolus, and Asiatic lily. See more here: https://www.almanac.com/content/growing-guide-spring-planted-bulbs

Goofy daff's

I planted them after purchasing from local store, the were in bloom...but it is GA...- So they didnt have fear of frosting. Now 2 years later and all i have from them is the greens...no blooms sice first year. It is now past normal bloomong time for them here...can i dig them up and contsiner them? Also, with the greens, how to keep them from lookong so spindly/falling over looking like a mess?

no blooms in the daffs

Just because you purchased the bulbs in bloom from a local store that does not mean that they bloomed locally. It is very common to ship plants grown/forced elsewhere into communities for purchase seasonally. Daffodils need a chill at temps around 40°F for 12 to 16 weeks. It’s not likely they got an adequate chill where you are, and it’s not likely that they would recover and return to their original form. Some people try to refrigerate them for the period but results are not guaranteed.

Moving bulbs

I had to dig up my daffodil bulbs now in order to plant shrubs. I know this is the wrong time to dig them up but is there anything I can do to hopefully save them.
Thank you

after digging up daffs

You can probably save (most of) them if you plant them again as soon as possible. Anywhere. Even in a container. It does not have to be a permanent location. They will probably droop for most of this season, even if you water them (which you should do, per normal). In fall, lift them and plant them where you want them to thrive.

Cutting daffodil blooms for arrangement.

If I cut my daffodils, for an arrangement, will they bloom next year?

I know all about deadheading them, and letting green foliage die back.

Just worried that if stems are cut, that’s it for blooms next spring.

Thank you.

Cutting daffs for arrangements

You are fine. The daffs should bloom next season if, as you say you, the foliage dies back on its own.

Daffodils

I planted my daffodil bulbs last fall and it is now April and all I see are just 4 green stalks and no bud or flower on any of them . Any reason why?

daffs are late?

If you were one of thousands (millions?) who experienced a particularly chilly to cold April, your bulbs might be just catching up with the calendar. Here in New England we are seeing that effect, too.

Replanting

I was gifted a large planter full of daffodil bulbs. They are very crowded in the planter. Can I plant them in the ground now or should I let them rest till fall. I have not had much luck letting bulbs rest during the summer

a planter full

We would advise that you let them rest. If you uproot them now, you are interrupting their natural cycle. If the pot has a drainage hole (or a few) you could leave it outdoors for the summer, as if in the ground, and then lift and plant the bulbs in autumn.

Wilting

I just recently bought my the daffodils from a store and they were standing tall and blooming but when I repotted them the flowers look like they're wilting and dying. What did I do wrong. They're in the same pot as tulips I don't know if they had any effect on them but usually when I buy a plant from the store and repot them I'm able to keep them alive so I'm just wondering what happened to my flowers

repotting daffs

By transplanting the bulbs, you interrupted them. Imagine: They are putting on their best show and you pull the rug (soil) out from under them. Their roots were getting what they needed in terms of nutrients and moisture in place and the transplanting put an end to that. They had to get new footing in a new pot and plants, especially bulbs, don’t do that. (Did you notice the thin white roots coming out of the bulbs’ bottom? That’s their life line.) So they collapse, exhausted from the transition. Don’t mean to sound harsh but that’s essentially what happened. (BTW, this is a common error, usually only made one time.) Will they come back? Not this season. You might put them aside, remove the flowers, let the foliage die back on its own, and keep them in a cool, dry place. Try planting them in fall. And wait and see.

Slouching Daffodils

I got some Daffodils around Easter and recently planted them, they are about 10 inches apart, in part/full sun, watered everyday and they are drooping. Not standing tall at all. Pick up stems and they fall. Not very sure what my problem is. Any comments?

Slouching Daffodils

If you had unusually cold temperatures or snow recently, that could have caused your daffodils’ bad posture. If not, it could be due to overwatering. Daffodils like to be kept moist, but don’t like to sit in too much water. Are yours in an area with well-drained soil? If you’re getting regular rainfall, that should be providing plenty of water to them.

Dividing daffodils

I need to divide my daffodils. I will wait till blooming is over & leaves are dead. Do I then plant the blubs or wait till fall? How would I store them? Thanks

Dividing Daffodils

Once you divide the daffodils, you should replant them right away. Plant them at the same depth that they were planted at before and space them about 6 inches apart for the best results.

If you did need to store them for some reason, you would want to keep them in a cool, dark place with relatively low humidity until you can plant them again.