Growing Daffodils

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Daffodils

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The bright yellow blooms of daffodils are a wonderful sign of spring—but do you know how and when to plant them properly? Here are tips on planting daffodil bulbs, caring for daffodils, and what to do after they flower.

Daffodils are a hardy and easy perennial that grows in most regions of North America, except in the hottest, wettest areas, such as South 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 cultivated varieties (“cultivars”) 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

When to Plant Daffodils

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.

Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site

Select a site that offers full sun or partial sun, at the least. Daffodils will bloom best when given adequate exposure to early spring sunshine!
Most daffodils tolerate a range of soils but grow best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil that is kept moist during the growing season. They are susceptible to rot when kept too wet, so make sure that you plant them in a well-draining spot.
Many of the popular species prefer neutral to acidic soils, but some prefer slightly alkaline soils, so consult the supplier of your bulbs to see which is best for your daffodil variety.

How to Plant Daffodils

Select high-quality daffodil bulbs that have not been 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 about 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 in early spring.
Daffodils contain something called oxalic acid—a substance that makes them unpalatable to most rodent pests. However, if yours are being bothered, consider adding sharp sharp pieces of shells or a pelleted rodent deterrent into and around each planting hole.
Get more tips for growing bulbs.

Daffodils in spring

Care

How to Grow Daffodils

Apply a low-nitrogen, high-potash (potassium) fertilizer after flowering if bulbs are not performing as desired. Learn more about preparing soil for planting and 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. Do NOT cut down earlier. 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

Using Daffodils as Cut Flowers

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:

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

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

Reader Comments

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dig up the daffodil to split up as the clump is to big and no f

Too big a clump and no flowers

daffodils growinf in Florida

I have a bag of daffodil bulbs, I now live in Ft Lauderdale Fl. Will they grow here if I plant them?

Daffodils in South FL

Daffodils require a period of cooler weather to go into dormancy, so it’s unlikely they’ll do well outdoors in south Florida. You could try chilling them in the fridge for a couple months before planting in a container in late fall or early winter—they may be tricked into blooming then.

I made a mistake with my daffodils

I am new to gardening and didn’t realize that I should not have cut the foliage after the flowers bloomed. I cut the down to about an inch from the ground. Any chance they will return next year it should I plant new bulbs. Also does the same apply to amaryllis as they have very long leaves and I was thinking of doing the same after they finished blooming. Thanks

Daffodils

The plants will come back next year; their blooms just might not be as enthusiastic. Leave the ones you’ve got alone, but feel free to plant a few more for additional support!

Amaryllis leaves should also be left alone until they die back naturally. This is the case for most (if not all) bulbs!

Moving bulbs

The daffodils planted by the previous owner of our house seem to be in odd places in the yard with little thought given to light. What advice do you have about digging them up and replanting in the fall?

moving bulbs

Wait until after the plant has died back completely, then dig the bulbs being careful not to cut them with the shovel. You can divide the clumps so you will have even more daffodils next year. You can store them for awhile in a cool place until ready to plant in late summer or fall. Easy peasy.

Daffodils

How do store the bulbs till autumn? We dug up after they bloomed. We want to move to a better spot.

I wanted to read the article about daffodils but there were several advertisements that were placed on the page that covered up the text of the article. I do understand the need for the Farmers Almanac to sustain an income, but the ads that cover up important articles are more than annoying - it is tantamount to theft. I subscribed to read articles and yet, what I get are advertisements that block the text of the article. Enough is enough. Do something, please.

Hi, you can download a free ad blocker online, mine is Adblock Plus and works like a charm.
You can turn it off and on also for different websites.

daffodils

My daffodils have been coming up beautifully. Two days ago my gardener went too wide on his turn and hacked off the tops of 4 of the plants. I almost cried.What, if anything, can I do with these living plants? Will this kill them?

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

Can I plant annuls over my daffodils?

HELP

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.