Looking for easy-to-grow bulbs that come back every year?
Here is your plant.
Daffodils are long-lived, increasing naturally each year.
‘Geranium’ daffodil.Credit: Art Meripol
They are equally at home in a formal garden, cottage border, or wild field on a farm.
Gardeners use the names “daffodil” and “jonquil” interchangeably.
Technically, however, “daffodil” refers to large-flowered kinds with flat, strap-like leaves.
‘Dutch Master’.Credit: samards / Getty Images
“Jonquil” denotesN.
jonquillaand its hybridsthey feature smaller, fragrant, clustered blooms and cylindrical leaves with pointed tips reminiscent of quills.
If you stick to calling them all “narcissus,” you might’t go wrong.
Jonquil blooms.Credit:Andrew Wale/ Getty Images
Daffodils all have the same basic flower structure.
They come in a fascinating array of flower forms, sizes, and colors.
Flowering begins in winter in the Lower South and early spring elsewhere.
For reliable blooms, give them well-draining soil and access to plenty of sunshine in the spring.
Daffodils do not require summer watering (although they’ll accept it) and need only infrequent division.
Water regularly while actively growing and blooming, then allow them to go dormant.
They can do well when planted under deciduous trees that won’t leaf out until later in the spring.
Though daffodils can tolerate partial sun, the blooms will turn to face the sunlight.
With inadequate sun, the foliage will grow but you won’t have flowers.
The bulbs grow best in soil that is loose or loamy with rich fertile ingredients.
If you have heavy, poorly draining soil, plant them on a berm or in a raised bed.
Loosen the soil when planting, and amend clay with well-rotted compost or a planting mix.
These flowers also grow in containers filled with potting soil.
Check the soil with your hands to determine if it is dry.
Daffodils do not mind humidity but need well-draining soil.
Fertilizer
When planting, narcissus bulbsneed fertilizer.
Forget the bone meal, which is not a complete fertilizer and takes years to break down.
Types of Daffodils
There are thousands of cultivars and many Narcissus species.
Daffodil varieties have unique shapes, sizes, and colors, classified into 13 divisions.
If you cut the foliage before it yellows, subsequent flowering may be reduced or eliminated.
Freshly cut stems release a substance that causes other cut flowers to wilt.
Division isn’t necessary every year.
Growing from seeds also takes longerusually five or six years.
Begin by harvesting seeds from daffodil pods after the flowers fade.
You will know it is time when the pods are brown and shriveling.
Break open seeds gently with your fingers or a clean, sharp knife.
Fill the containers with potting mix and allow seeds to germinate into seedlings.
Select a container with drainage holes that is at least 12 inches deep and 8-12 inches wide.
Fill about 2/3 with a well-draining potting mixture.
Set bulbs close togetherbut not touchingin the pot with their tips facing up.
Then cover the bulbs with soil.
you could store the container in a cool, dark area with moderate temperatures.
Temperatures should remain around 40F to 45F for about three months, and the soil should remain slightly moist.
Another option is to bury the whole pot in the ground, then remove it in spring.
Move it to a sunny spot once the temperature has reached 50-65F.
Water when the soil is dry.
After blooming is complete, the bulbs can be thrown out or planted in the ground.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Deer and rodentsdo not eat the bulbssince they are toxic.
The most serious daffodil pest is the narcissus bulb fly.
An adult fly resembles a small bumblebee.
The female lays eggs on the leaves and necks of bulbs.
When eggs hatch, young grubs eat their way into bulbs.
Check bulbs before planting and destroy any grubs.
Planting at the recommended depth will reduce infestations.
The narcissus bulb fly is only one of the pests that impact daffodils.
Removing foliage will also cause bulbs to be less strong the following year.
When planting daffodil bulbs, plant them correctly and only use mature bulbs.
After dividing bulbs from the parent plant, small bulbs take longer to bloom.
Fertilizers can assist in bud development, but be careful not to over-fertilize an area.
Maintain proper sun exposure, moving the bulbs if an area becomes shady and overgrown.
When daffodilsstop blooming, it’s often time to dig them up and move them to a better location.
Brown buds can occur in climates that are too hot or cold.
Additionally, not maintaining enough moisture throughout the growing season can impact the foliage and blooms.
Leaves Turning Yellow
Yellowing leaves can occur if the viral disease stripe is present.
Aphids are a pest that carries this virus, so preventing exposure to the pest helps avoid the disease.
They also can be planted outdoors in the Coastal and Tropical South.
Among the Narcissus species, paperwhites are best for growing indoors.
Unlike daffodils, they don’t require a cooling period to sprout and bloom.
