Daffodil Bulbs: Planting Tips and Secrets

What better way to get ready for spring than to plant cheerful daffodil bulbs

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Daffodil bulbs may be planted in a perennial flower bed, or a natural wooded place. Never plant them in dense shade. Plant early, mid, and late bloomers to prolong the growing season and the pleasure that comes with seeing these delightful bulbs bloom.

Daffodils are delightful bulbs that are indigenous to the norhern hemisphere and are a member of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. You may have heard them referred to jonquils or buttercups.

Actually, the common name is daffodil and the scientific name is narcissus so these two terms are actually interchangeable. The word "Narcissus" has a very interesting origin. Apparently, a handsome young Greek boy admired his reflection in a pool so much that he fell in and drowned and was changed into a nodding flower reflected in the water.

This is origin of the word "narcissist" which is attached to anyone who thinks too highly of him/herself.

It's also the origin of the word "narcotic" referring to the poisonous alkaloid found in the bulbs.

Don't worry about children or pets eating the daffodil bulbs. They are very distasteful.

Daffodil Bulbs Planting Tips

Here are more tips on planting daffodils

• Order bulbs early from catalogs for best selection and price.Tip: If buying from a local garden center, chose bulbs that are firm, not mushy
• Using a Heavy Duty Bulb Planter with stainless steel tube makes planting daffodils faster and easier. Tip: This is how we plant thousands of bulbs in an hour or two. Dibbles are not recommended since they compress the soil inhibiting root growth. Trowels are the perfect tool if planting less than 100 bulbs. We highly recommend the Radius Pro Auger available at Kmart
• Plant in the fall when the ground temperature (6 - 8 inches below ground) is at or below 60 degrees F. Or just plant after the leaves have fallen and you have had your first frost. You may plant in February or March if bulbs are still firm, but slower flowering may be delayed.(
• Plant in an area that gets at least 6 hours sun. Do not plant in grassy area where bulb leaves will be mowed down. They regain nutrients for the following year through their leaves after blooming
• Well drained soil is best. Slopes and hillsides with natural drainage are perfect or even raised beds.
• Plant at a depth of 6"-8". A good rule of thumb for any bulb is to plant it 3 times the height of the bulb.
• Plant with pointed end up if possible. If planted wrong, they will still bloom, it may just take a little longer since the stem has to curve up toward the sun.
• Amend clay soil with well decomposed compost, leaf compost, finely ground pine bark, composted sewage sludge, well-coposted horse, chicken, cow, or mushroom compost, or sharp builders sand.
• It's recommended by the daffodil societies to dust holes with bone meal before planting and to top dress with 5-10-10 when the leaf-tips emerge. As they flower, top-dress with 0-10-10 or 0-0-50. High-nitrogen fertilizer should be avoided. Tip: If time and/or money are tight, you may skip this step.
• Water in well after planting and keep moist for about three weeks or until the fall rains begin. During growing season, March through May, allow 1/2"-1" water each week. Daffodil bulbs do not like water in the summer when they are dormant and may rot if planted in area with irrigation. Tip: Do not overwater!

Daffodil Care

• According to Brent and Becky Heath (renowned bulb farmers) the best and simplest fertilizer is good soil rich in humus and other organic matter. Supplemental minerals and nutritional elements, applied periodically, can help keep bulb clumps blooming indefinitely.
• They do not recommend putting fertilizer in the planting hole for risk of burning tender new roots.
• Instead, topdress with fertilizer in spring (if you didn't do it in fall) with water-soluable formula such as Bulb Alive! .
• Get your soil tested to see if it is deficient in phosphorous. If it is, incorporate extra phosphorus into the soil at planting time.
• Tip: Use specially made bulb fertilizers instead of bonemeal. Bonemeal used to be considered an ideal bulb fertilizer until research at North Carolina State University found that it has too little nitrogen, almost no potassium, and only a little phosphorus and calcium.
• Mulch with pines straw or pine bark to control weeds, conserve moisture, and to keep bed cool under shade in heat of summer.
• Tip: DO NOT CUT, TIE OR BEND THE BLUB'S LEAVES UNTIL THEY BEGIN TO TURN YELLOW AND FLOP OVER. Only then are they safe to cut. Before that time, they are busy gathering nutrients for next year's bloom time.
• Digging and dividing are not necessary, but if you do want to simply dig up when blooms are finished and foliage begins to yellow.
• If storing bulbs, keep them very dry in mesh bags or hose with plenty of air circulation. It's best to plant right after digging
• Deadheading is not necessary as they do not produce seed
• Pests are pretty much non-exsistant since bulbs are poisonous to most insects and animals. (Kids and pets will not eat them since they taste awful!)

  For the complete article on growing spring flowering bulbs from Brent and Becky Heath click here.

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