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”) exist 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 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 springtime cut flowers.
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Do you have only leaves and
Do you have only leaves and no flowers? If that is the case your bulbs may not have had the required cold temperatures they need to bloom. If you live in a warm climate dig the bulbs after the leaves die back and put them in a bag in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 weeks. Then plant outside.
Is it too late?
I was given a starter pot today of Rip van Winkle daffodils that are already in bloom, would it hurt them to transplant them into a larger pot now? Or should I wait until they've died back into just a bulb?
If the daffodils are doing
If the daffodils are doing fine leave them in the starter pot and repot after the leaves have died back.
watering them once in the ground...
I got a beautiful pot of daffodils and they bloomed very nicely. The only problem is that I live in southern florida and we haven't had winter this year. I'm planing on putting the bulbs in the fridge like you suggested, but once I plant them in the ground, how should I water them? THANK YOU
Do not over water. Too much
Do not over water. Too much water will cause the bulbs to rot. Keep the soil moist. Good luck!
Daffodils
My son recently gave me potted daffodils. There were 3 blooms when I received them from him, but most of the ends of the leaves seemed to have a yellow tinge to them (my first thought was that they were bruised). Now the ends seem to be curling. Does this mean the beginning of new buds? I've seen gardens of daffodils, but never stopped to think how they become flowers. Can someone tell me if I have more flowers to come, or are they in fact bruised? Thank you.
You have bruised leaves and
You have bruised leaves and probably no more buds on the plant. The flower buds usually grow from the center of the plant. You'll see a stem with a bud on the top. Let the leaves die back and plant the bulb(s) in the ground this fall if you live in a cold climate area. If you live in the southern states you can put the bulbs in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 weeks and then plant them in a pot or in the ground.
Thank you
Thanks for your response. I'll definitely save the plant & plant the bulbs in the autumn.
Daffodils going to be dumped
recently I visited my garden centre and they had a 25kg bag of daffodil bulbs I was told they were going to be dumped I offered to take them, I am planing to put them in pots as the are budding ,Will it work or am I wasting my timerossfarm6@yahoo.com
Not sure if you are going to
Not sure if you are going to get any blooms. It all depends on how the bulbs were kept. Daffodils need a cold resting period to produce blossoms. You can plant the bulbs in containers and see what happens. If they bloom great! You can plant the bulbs in the ground in the fall (if you live in a cold climate) and you will definitely have blooms next spring.
Miniature daffodils
I bought a box of these bulbs last fall, kept them in the fridge for 6 weeks, planted them very closely in a medium-size pot. When they came up and I could see the buds, I put them in a sunny south window where they continued to grow and to bloom out. They've now grown tall and are in full bloom, with more to come. Each large bulb must have 2 or 3 blossoms, the pot is in constant bloom. Only now, after 2 or 3 weeks of change, are the blooms starting to age and die. I'll carefully cut them off; I can see more buds coming.
I've had so much pleasure and beauty from this planting; I'll do it again.
I'm sending one of your daffodil cards as a Valentine. Thank you.
Basement daffodils
We just discovered daffodils growing in a pot in our basement. Turns out our daughter planted some that she found in the woods last year. They managed to get about 1-4 inches high without any sunlight or water. We've brought them upstairs and dribbled some water in the pot but have no idea what else to do. Should we plant them outside? Keep them in the pot until after they die back and then plant them in the fall? If we keep them in the pot, how often and how much should we water them? These are obviously super hardy but I want to give them a hand now that I know they are here. :)
Keep them in the pot in a
Keep them in the pot in a sunny spot. Keep the soil moist but not wet. The daffodils may bloom if the bulbs had a long enough rest in the basement. After they die back let the the bulbs dry out and plant them outdoors in the fall.
forcing daffodils
I live in the sf bay area and did not get my bulbs planted last fall. Can I still plant them?
Normally, we'd advise getting
Normally, we'd advise getting them into the ground in fall. The bulbs need to have chilly temperatures at least 6 to 8 weeks to get them to bloom.
Refrigerated daffodils
I have had some daffodils in my frig for a year (I bought them for my new house, but ended up moving in April instead of the previous November). Can I still plant them? should I wait until it is really cold before I plant them? I live in Zone 9 in California. Thanks very much for your help!
refrigerated daffodils
You know, all you can do is try them. Bulbs can dry out if not given an opportunity to grow. They should be planted in fall to bloom in spring, so plant them now. And plant a few news ones so that you have some blooms next season, in case these do not come up at all or come up and not flower.
Daffodil
Hoping the daffodils take the march & april winds away ....and bring a lot of sunshine.!!!!
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