It is a cheery flower that will work best as border and accent flowers in the garden.
It is also a beautiful flower cut and an easy to grow container plant.
But like other flower bulbs like tulips, the real work will come after every blooming time.
To know more about how to grow and care for daffodils, heres everything you should consider.
To know more about the plant, here are some facts about daffodils.
In Europe, especially in England, the daffodil is one of the most referenced flowers in poems.
Housman, Longfellow, Shakespeare and Robert Frost.
In China, daffodils are popular new year flowers and symbols of fortune and prosperity.
It is also the official flower emblem of the American Cancer Society.
Types of daffodils flowers
1.
Split Corona Daffodils
It has one of the showiest flowers during spring and one of the tallest daffodils.
It has large blooms and an open face instead of the usual trumpet-shaped flowers.
It comes in an old rose color and white flower base.
It is notable for its strong scent with red-rimmed, yellow cups and pure white flowers.
It blooms solitary cups per stem in late spring.
Each stem produces 3-4 flowers.
This daffodil is known for its longevity.
It is also an award-winning variety because of its rich vanilla scent.
It is very hardy and naturalizes well in a wide range of growing conditions.
Each stem blooms a solitary flower the entire spring.
It is good as border flowers and astonishing as stem cuts.
Although low-growing, it is a prolific bloomer all through spring.
It loves acidic soils and self-seeds.
Each stem produces 4-6 showy flowers with yellow/white petals and orange cups blooming through spring.
Each bulb grows multiple stems and each stem is clustered with 2-3 flowers.
It produces medium-sized open flowers with yellow-lemon color fading to creamy white at the cups.
Albeit its small size, it produces large flowers with yellow petals and red-orange trumpets.
It makes a sturdy border flower throughout spring.
Double Daffodils (Double Narcissus)
This one is also an astonishing flower cut blooming from early to mid-spring.
Its sturdy stems produce solitary or multiple full double-flowers.
Its flowers are creamy white up to the center, ruffled edges and apricot-pink tinges.
Planting daffodils flowers
1.
How to plant
For planting, you have to choose bulbs that are not too dry.
Remember that the larger the daffodil bulb, the better.
Choose a site where it will get partial to full sun.
Be it in-ground or planted in containers, you have to choose well-draining and fertile soil.
Plant the bulbs at 1-3inches depth.
In areas where winter is harsher, it should be planted at 3-5inches depth.
In garden beds, they have to be planted at 3-6inches apart.
Apply bulb fertilizer upon planting and add rodent deterrent in each planting hole.
Daffodils care
Soil
Daffodils love fertile and well-draining soil.
Soggy soils or heavy clay are prone to waterlogging.
Fertilizer
Aside from applying bulb fertilizer after it is planted, you wont need much.
Regular fertilizing during spring is recommended though.
Sun & Light
Daffodils love sunny locations to produce enough seeds for annual blooming.
Having enough sun around allows continuous photosynthesis which will keep the flowers blooming annually.
Dappled light or partial shade will also be good for them during the growing season.
Water requirements
Because daffodils are sun-loving, they have to be watered regularly and thoroughly.
Specifically, regular watering (twice a week) is needed during spring and fall.
Watering should stop 3weeks after the last bloom fades as they grow dormant in the summer.
A low-humidity location indoors (a consistent 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit) is recommended.
Repotting
Dividing daffodils once in every three years is essential in the growth and longevity of daffodils.
Locate the point where the leaves are dying and take it from there.
you’re free to repot healthy bulbs anytime and place it where it could get enough sun.
The bulbs need to restock energy to produce seeds for the next bloom time.
After pruning/deadheading, you have to add organic compost in the soil to maintain/improve bloom rate for next year.
Propagation
The only trick to propagation is to secure healthy bulbs.
This usually happens during late spring and mid-summer.
Dig up the saved bulbs and follow the planting process.
Transplanting usually happens during fall.
Related:Why Do Your Plants Die And How To Avoid It?
Just look out for possible waterlogging in the soil especially when grown in containers.
Waterlogging will produce root rots and fungi infestation.
Fill the pot with the right potting mix and then cover the bulb with soil and enough water.
Water if the soil appears dry.
After flowering, the pot must be transferred in a shadier spot and water it once a week.
Adding bone meal to the soil will ensure its health.
Indoor or potted daffodils could last for up to three years.
As for pests, daffodils are commonly attacked by narcissus flies during very hot, humid and windless days.
They lay eggs in the plant base, hatch after seven days and start chewing on the bulbs.
Bulb scale mites is another pest to look out for in terms of pests.
Again, it is a hot-climate disease usually indicated by black spots in the foliage.
Slugs, snails and swift moths may also become problems if regular weeding and inspection are not done.
They target the leaves and chew on the plants stem.
Another result of hot summers would be basalt rots, considered as the most serious daffodil disease.
Its symptoms include too early foliage dying and watery bulbs with rot stains.
When gray spores appear, you should prepare for another disease called smoulder.
While not that fatal, it affects bulb yield and flower volume next year.
Leaf scorching can also happen when it is too hot.
For all of these, the common intervention is weeding, the use of insecticide or fungicide.
Ensuring that correct care requirements are followed would spare you these problems too.
Toxicity of daffodils
A lot of bulbs are considered toxic and daffodils are not exempted in this.
They are specifically toxic to animals when ingested in large amounts.
The whole plant has lycorine, a substance with emetic properties, causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are daffodils poisonous to cats?
The plant is notoriously fatal for cats.
When the pods are ingested, it will mean death for them.
Are daffodils perennials?
Daffodils are perennials known for more prolific flowering after each blooming time.
Pre-chilled daffodil bulbs are cultivated as annuals in warmer regions.
Do daffodils grow back every year?
Daffodils come back yearly with more blooms than the previous year.
What to do with daffodils after they die?
Should I deadhead daffodils?
You have to start deadheading as soon as the blooms start fading.
In doing this, you will preserve the green foliage for at least 5-6 weeks.
Why are my daffodils not blooming?
There are two reasons as to why this happens.
First, you planted them shallowly.
They should be at a depth 3times deeper than their size.
Second, planting the bulbs too late will cause non-blooming.
Why are my daffodils blind?
There is only one reason for this.
Blind daffodils are triggered by cutting off the dead flowers and stems too soon.
Without enough energy, they cannot produce enough bulbs for the next blooming time.
It is easy to care for, essentially hardy and is a survivor, to say the very least.
It is also very symbolic in many cultures and is fondly considered as the bringer of spring.
Be as it may, daffodils truly spruce up the garden in a very unique way.
