Daffodils are beautiful flowers and contrary to other plants daffodils should be planted quite early in the year. A lot of people are wondering if they can plant daffodils later. So in this article, I will answer the question in short and then I will go more into the detail when and why to plant daffodils at that time.
So can you plant daffodils in the spring? The short answer is no, daffodils should be planted in the fall season before the first freeze. It is possible to make planting daffodils in spring work but it is not easy and generally rarely successful.
Daffodils should be planted in the fall season which means around 2 to 4 prior to the ground freezing. While anticipating the freezing of the ground, it is best to find the perfect spot where these daffodil bulbs can be planted.
Where should Daffodils be planted?
When selecting the perfect spot for these daffodils, it is good to select an area where the sun is able to reach, even partially; this is because these bulbs are known to bloom more beautifully when they are provided with enough exposure to the sun.
In addition to receiving an ample amount of sunlight, the perfect spot for these daffodil bulbs also need to be in an area where the soil is at least moderately fertile.
What Kind of Soil is Best for Daffodils?
In most cases, daffodils are very tolerant of almost any type of soil as long it is well-drained; the logic behind this is that daffodil bulbs tend to rot easily when they are planted in highly hydrated soil. It is also worth noting that some variants of daffodil bulbs tend to grow in acidic soil, while there are variants that are healthier when planted on alkaline soil.
Because of this, it is best to consult the supplier of the daffodil bulbs so that it is made sure that they are planted in an environment that will nourish them properly.
The Quality of the Bulbs is Important
The best time to purchase these daffodil bulbs is in the fall season. When buying these daffodil bulbs, make sure that they are fresh, plump and are firm; avoid those that are damaged and soft. The number of flowers is also dependent on the firmness and the size of the bulbs so make sure that the plumpest and firmest ones are chosen to be planted.
It is also best to make sure that the daffodil bulbs are bought from reliable growers, as opposed to those who just sell random daffodil bulbs. Doing this will ensure that the background of the bulbs will be identified, which will also allow the growers to strategize and plan ahead.
How to Plant Daffodils in Spring?
Now that buying these daffodil bulbs are now easier to do because of the tips given, it is also worth elaborating how these daffodil bulbs should be planted in the spring season.
Bulbs with excellent quality should be chosen so that these will be the ones planted and grown; one would know that a bulb is of high quality when it is not dry, along with the fact that larger ones are better. In the spring season, it is best to bury the bulbs 1.5 to 5 times their own height to make sure that they are buried properly.
Daffodils are able to tolerate minimized crowding, but it is ideal for them to plant with at least 3 to 6 inches of separation from each other; additionally, it is also said that sprinkling a bit of fertilizer in the hole before completely burying the daffodil bulbs can help in growing them properly.
Growing these daffodil bulbs also require for them to be covered in mulch, considering that they will be buried in a relatively colder season; mulch will help in preventing winds from drying the bulbs too much. Daffodils generally repel different insects and pests such as rodents, but it would be best to consider adding sharp objects around the holes where they are planted to keep any unwanted species from eating and destroying them.
Daffodil blindness is also a state of daffodils where no leaves exist but only the flowers, and this happens because the bulbs were not planted deep enough for them to develop leaves.
How to Grow Daffodils Indoors?
Some growers plant their daffodil bulbs in pots and some people think that it works the same way when they are planted directly on soil, but the truth is that the two have different effects on the bulbs.
When planting them in pots, make sure that the right size is picked so as to set an ideal environment for growing the bulbs. Clay pots usually come with holes at the bottom and if this is the case, the hole should be covered when planning to plant a daffodil bulb in it.
The pots should then be filled with general purpose compost mixed with grit to be able to improve the drainage. Lastly, it is also very important to water the bulbs immediately after they have been planted in pots because this allows for the bulbs to immediately get acquainted with their new habitat.
Once the daffodil plants have been planted correctly, the next challenge is to grow them and make sure that they survive all external conditions for them to reach their blooming stage.
If in the event that some of the bulbs appear to not be growing properly, a fertilizer that is high in potassium and low in nitrogen can be applied to each as needed. It is also important to water the flowers that have not bloomed yet during the dry parts of the spring season to ensure that they are sufficiently hydrated.
Once the daffodil bulbs have bloomed, it is very important to make sure that they have enough separation from each other; the flowers can be clustered together so that they do not create clutter in specific areas of the garden. After the daffodils have bloomed, they should not be cut off, instead, they should be given time to die and store energy before they are cut off.
The best method for removing dead plants is by snipping them off or twisting the leaves while pulling lightly and removing a specific part; after all the daffodils have been removed, bonemeal should be added on the soil to prepare it for the plants that will be grown in the future.
Daffodils and Animals
It is a good thing that daffodils repel different animals such as deer and rodent, but owners must also make sure that their pets do not eat any part of the daffodil bulbs because otherwise they will be poisoned.
What these flowers attract on the other hand are insects and pests that can also destroy them; to keep these insects away, they should be protected properly and tended to on a daily basis.
Daffodils cannot be left in the garden for long periods of time because they would have already been damaged the next time they are attended to. Daffodils are a bit on the high maintenance side because they require full attention from the growers, especially if they have just be planted.
Keeping Daffodils in Vases
After growing these daffodil bulbs in the spring season, the most logical thing to do with them is to place them in vases so that the beauty of each flower can be appreciated. The thing is, when daffodils are placed in vases, they should not be with other bulbs or other flowers; the reason for this is because daffodils secrete a specific type of fluid that causes other flowers to wilt.
If mixing daffodil flowers with other flowers cannot be avoided, the best thing that can be done is to soak daffodils by themselves for as long as possible, before adding them last in the vase that contains other flowers.
It is also worth noting that when handling daffodils, extra care should be taken because getting in contact with its sap can cause skin irritation or worse, can trigger skin allergies. Handling these plants should be done by using hand gloves to be able to protect oneself from the possible side effects that these plants can cause.
What if I Planted Daffodils too Late?
When you misses the most optimal time for planting these daffodil bulbs, the best thing to do is to just plant them anyway and take a chance on the possibility of it blooming and producing beautiful flowers.
It will be a bad idea to wait for spring or next fall just to be able to get that optimal season again; the reason for this is because bulbs do not survive outside of the ground long enough the way seeds can.
The ideal storing time for these daffodil bulbs is 3-5 weeks. Once it surpasses that timeframe, the chances of the bulbs to grow and produce flowers will immediately decrease. Keeping the bulbs for a long time, even in dry and cool places, will eventually allow the bulbs to get to that “growing phase” since they are constantly growing.
Different types of daffodil bulbs require different types of care and maintenance, but the fundamental needs are essentially the same. It’s important to stick to those essentials to be able to care for these daffodil bulbs the way they are supposed to be cared for, regardless of their differences with each other.
Daffodils that are planted in spring are said to produce some of the most vibrant flowers in the garden. Taking care of these spring daffodils may seem like a hassle, but in reality, all the effort and time put into taking care of them will be worth it once the grower sees how beautiful it is to plant daffodil bulbs during the spring season.