How to plant daffodil bulbs in fall

If you simply can’t wait for spring or live in hardiness zone 8-10, daffodils & narcissus have a lovely variety called paperwhites that doesn’t need any cooling period at all, making it ideal for indoor blooming or warmer climates.

• For indoor growing:

Plant the paperwhite bulbs in a well-draining container, with 1” of the tip of the bulb sticking out of the soil. Place the bulbs very closely together so they won’t get floppy once they grow taller. After planting, place the pot in a brightly lit, warm spot. Make sure to turn the pot every day so that the plants will grow straight. After three to six weeks you’ll have a lovely pot of tender white flowers that smell divine. If you don’t like a strong fragrance indoors, paperwhite Inbal is just as beautiful but without the aroma.

Instead of in a pot with soil, you can also use a (glass) vase. Fill the bottom with pebbles or gravel and place the bulbs closely together on top of it, with their pointy ends up. Water until it just reaches the base of the bulbs, and place the vase in a brightly lit but not too warm spot. Make sure to keep topping up the water as it evaporates.

• For outdoor growing in zones 8-10:

Anytime in winter, find a sunny spot with well-draining soil and plant the paperwhite bulbs 3x deeper than they’re high, with their pointy ends up. For maximum impact it’s a good idea to plant them in clumps of 7-10. Water well after planting and wait for spring, when they’ll burst forth form the ground in tender, fragrant groups.

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How to Plant Daffodil Bulbs - Planting & Growing Guide

Nothing announces the arrival of spring like daffodils. Their cheerful, trumpet-shaped flowers splash gardens and landscapes with golden yellows and other brilliantly colored hues. These spring blooms are also a favorite in cut flower arrangements.

While their bloom times can vary, daffodils, also called narcissus, generally burst into bloom after crocuses and before tulips. They are some of the easiest of the spring-blooming bulbs to grow. Suitable for zones 3-8, daffodils can be grown throughout much of the United States. To see if daffodils will grow in your area, you can check our hardiness zone finder.

It’s easy to fit daffodils into your gardening style. Depending on the cultivar, they grow 14-24 inches tall, and look right at home in formal gardens, naturalized areas, mixed perennial beds and other locations. For the best effect, we recommend planting daffodils in groups of five or more. Some gardeners, though, plant hundreds of daffodil bulbs to create a burst of color in the springtime.

Daffodils contain a toxic liquid called lycorine in their bulb and stem, making them deer resistant. Because daffodils are deer resistant and rodent resistant, they’re a favorite of gardeners who live in areas that have frequent deer and other wildlife visitors.

When people think of daffodils, yellow-hued varieties are often the first that come to mind. But thanks to modern breeding efforts, gardeners can now choose from hundreds of different daffodil cultivars, including those with double blooms and in hues of yellow, orange, white, salmon and more. Select daffodils that fit your color scheme and preference.

Daffodils are also available in a range of bloom times. By selecting early-season, mid-season and late-season varieties, you can extend the daffodil season up to three months. Browse daffodil bulbs from KVB for one of the best and most varied selection of daffodil flowers.

When selecting daffodil bulbs for fall planting, select plump, large flower bulbs. The larger daffodil bulbs will produce larger plants.

Daffodils require well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade. Some daffodil varieties are more suitable to partial shade or dappled sunlight, so be sure to check the light requirements on each variety. Partial shade is usually defined as 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Because daffodils bloom in the spring, before many deciduous trees leaf out, they can often be planted under trees or in woodland areas.

Well-drained soil is a must for daffodils. Bulbs don’t like wet feet. If planted in poorly drained soil, daffodil bulbs will rot.

Daffodils can also be grown in containers, providing the containers have good drainage. Make sure the container or pot that you use has drainage holes.

Like many other fall planted bulbs, daffodils or narcissus require a cold period that allows their roots to develop and for them to get ready for spring. This is why daffodils don’t grow well in far southern parts of the United States. If growing daffodils in containers, many northern gardeners bring the containers to a more protected space, like an unheated garage, over winter so the bulbs don’t freeze.

Daffodil or narcissus bulbs are planted in the fall, when the weather starts to cool and before hard freezes set in. In more northern regions, daffodil bulbs can be planted in late September through October, while in more southern regions, the planting time is October through November. A good rule of thumb for fall planting bulbs is to let soil temperature be your guide on when to plant daffodils. The soil should be below 60 degrees F. but not frozen.

Because daffodil bulbs need well-drained soil, the first step is to make sure your soil is well-drained. Mixing aged manure or compost into the soil can improve the drainage.

Next, either prepare a bed for planting daffodil bulbs or dig individual holes for the bulbs. If digging individual holes, people often use a bulb planter or auger. For bulb planting supplies, visit our garden fertilizer and tools page.

Make sure the planting hole is deep enough. The general rule of thumb is to plant the daffodil bulb about three times the diameter of the bulb. That means that large daffodil bulbs should be planted about 6 inches deep. Bulbs don’t like to be crowded, so place the daffodil bulbs about 4 inches apart. If planting in a container, the bulbs can be closer together, but they should not be touching.

At planting time, you can feed the daffodil bulbs with Van Bourgondien 100% Natural Bulb Food. Avoid using a strong commercial fertilizer or fresh manure at planting time.
Set the bulb so that the pointy end is up. Cover with dirt. After planting, water the bulbs well and cover with a light mulch.

In the springtime, daffodils require little care. They have average water needs, or require about an inch of rainfall weekly. If the springtime is really dry, they may require some additional watering.

When the daffodils bloom, enjoy the show. Daffodils also make wonderful cut flowers, so cut some for indoor arrangements or bouquets.

When the daffodil flowers fade, deadheading or cutting the spent flower heads, gives a neater appearance. Don’t cut the foliage, though, as it’s making food for next year’s flowers. Allow the foliage to naturally fade or die back. Some gardeners plant perennials around daffodils to hide the fading foliage.

If fertilizing or feeding your daffodil bulbs, the time to do this is right after they stop flowering. We recommend using an all-natural plant food.

Daffodils naturalize well and will come back year after year. They produce more bulbs each year. If the daffodils become too crowded they may not perform as well. This means they are ready to divide. Bulb division should be done after the foliage has completely faded away.

To be sure that you can locate your daffodil bulbs, we recommend marking the ones you plan to dig up and divide. That way, they’re easy to find once the foliage has faded.

Dig the bulbs up and divide them. You can give the extra bulbs to a friend or replant them in another location that will benefit from the springtime cheer of daffodils.

When and how to plant daffodils?

Narcissuses are the most unpretentious and most elegant spring bulbous flowers that delight us not only with the purity and tenderness of the snow-white-golden palette of colors, but also with a surprisingly subtle heady aroma, somewhat reminiscent of the smell of southern magnolias.

In addition, they are also the most unpretentious primroses, which perfectly endure the harsh winters of the northern climate (frost resistance of many varieties reaches -43 degrees).

Domestic and foreign breeders managed to create many varieties and types of this amazingly beautiful flower.

About this, as well as about various types of narcissus, about caring for them, about the best varieties of this wonderful primrose, read our published articles:

“When to plant bulbous flowers”;

"The best varieties of daffodils for autumn planting. "

In this article we will talk about how to properly plant daffodils in your flower garden.

BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF NARCISSUS

Before telling about when and how to plant daffodils correctly, let us remind you of some biological features of this culture.

Daffodils belong to the Amaryllis family, which includes about 85 different species of this flower. The narcissus poetic is considered to be the progenitor of all these species.

Narcissus bulb is surrounded by numerous storage scales, which gradually die off and are replaced by new ones.

The aerial part consists of a leafless round or ribbed stem up to 75 cm high, on which, depending on the variety, one or more flowers are formed.

Flowers amaze with a variety of elegant shapes and colors. They can be snow-white with golden, yellow or bright orange single or double perianth.

Daffodils bloom in mid-April - early May (depending on the type and variety). The most common species: tubular, large-crowned, small-crowned, terry, triandrus, cyclamen-like, jonquillium, tacetaceous, poetic, wild-growing types and forms, split-crown .

According to the timing of flowering, all varieties can be divided into early, medium and late flowering. Flowering of each group of varieties lasts more than two weeks.

By planting all three groups in one flower bed, you can create a long-blooming spring flower garden of daffodils alone, which will delight you with its snow-white splendor and delicate aromas for more than a month.

By the way, each type of daffodil has its own surprisingly pleasant smell, so they are definitely used to create a fragrance garden, which is so popular in European countries today.

Narcissus bulbs grow quickly, forming numerous babies, so they must be planted at least once every five years. Otherwise, the flowers will begin to shrink and lose their varietal color. In addition, pathogens accumulate in the soil around them, which can destroy the entire flower garden.

WHEN AND HOW TO PLANTS

Planting dates . As a rule, it is customary to plant daffodil bulbs in autumn - from September 18 to October 10 (depending on the region). Remember that they need at least four weeks for adaptation and reliable rooting before the onset of stable frosts.

Soil temperature during planting should not exceed +11 degrees .

If you plant your daffodil bulbs too early, they will hatch and grow in warm autumn conditions. This will inevitably lead to their death in the winter.

But it is also impossible to be late with planting, since the plants will not have time to take root normally in a new place and will also die.

Landing area . Since daffodils are among the first to bloom in the garden, create all the conditions for them for bright lush flowering by choosing the sunniest open place under the flower bed.

The height of the flower bed should be at least 50 cm so that the bulbs do not flood with melt water and spring rains.

Soils . Daffodils love fertile, light, loose, organic-rich soil with a neutral environment (pH 7.0).

On acidic, poor sandy and heavy clay soils, these beautiful flowers will not grow.

Neutralize acidic soil by adding 2 kg of dolomite flour per 1 square meter for digging. m flower garden.

When preparing a flower bed, add for digging (per 1 sq. m.): two buckets of rotted manure (or compost), two buckets of sand, a bucket of leafy soil, 2 tbsp. spoons of double superphosphate, 1.5 tbsp. spoons of potassium sulfate and half a bucket of wood ash.

Fit . You can plant daffodils only in dry weather. It is strictly forbidden to water the flower bed before and after planting!

Wet soil will definitely cause the bulbs to wake up.

For planting, dig holes 12 to 18 cm apart. The depth of the holes is determined by the size of the bulb and is three times its height.

At the bottom of each hole, make a 2 cm layer of coarse sand to drain.

Plant the bulbs vertically, bottom down, lightly pressing them into the sand. After planting, fill the holes with fertile soil and mulch the entire flower bed with straw with a layer of 6 - 7 cm.

When placing various varieties and types of daffodils in the flower bed, consider how they will combine in shape and palette during spring flowering.

Also try to plant the early, middle and late varieties evenly in the flower bed so that in the spring there are no bare spots on the bed where the already flowering plants are located.

Winter shelter . Daffodils planted in autumn definitely require winter shelter. After the air temperature steadily drops to -6 ... -8 degrees, cover the entire flower bed with dry leaves from hardwood trees with a layer of 45 - 50 cm.

Lay two layers of spruce branches on top.

Such a hiding place for daffodils will be quite enough.

You don't have to be afraid of rodents in winter. They won't harm your plantings because they can't stand the smell of daffodil bulbs.

That's why experts recommend planting daffodils around the edges of tulips and other bulbous flowers that can injure mice and voles.

For the same reason, daffodils can be planted in stone circles near the trunks, which very often damage these small rodents.

how and when to plant in the ground, how to care for

Author: Elena N. https://floristics.info/en/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=19 Category: Garden Plants Returned: February 11, 2022 Last amendments: August 23, 2022

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• When Sit Narcissions in Autumn
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  Daffodils are one of the most unpretentious spring flowers. They are called plants for the lazy - they are resistant to diseases, frost-resistant, undemanding neither to the composition of the soil, nor to the level of its humidity, nor to lighting. And this despite the fact that they are beautiful, and some even have a subtle honey aroma. That is why a rare garden does without these beautiful spring flowers. Daffodils simply and quickly multiply by children - young bulbs, which are separated from the mother's bulb.

  Listen to article

  When to plant daffodils in the ground in autumn

  Planting dates

  You can dig up daffodils and divide their nests every year, or you can do it once every 3-4 years. These flowers are planted in autumn.

  When should daffodils be planted outdoors in autumn? What month to plant daffodils? On average, the time of planting daffodils is between the second half of August and the second week of September, although in fact the timing of planting daffodils depends on the climatic conditions of the region and the weather, so they can shift. The main condition that determines when to plant daffodils before winter is the soil temperature in the range of 8-10 ºC, which lasts at least two weeks. With timely planting, the bulbs should have time to form roots before the soil freezes, but at the same time they should not start growing.

  How to plant lilies in autumn and care after planting

  When to plant daffodils in the Moscow region

  For example, planting daffodils in the autumn in the Moscow region is carried out from August 15 to September 15, because it is at this time in the middle lane that the soil temperature reaches the desired level.

  When to plant in the Leningrad region

  At the same time, daffodils are planted in the ground in the Leningrad region, although you can start planting a little earlier - from the second decade of August. Here again, it all depends on when the soil temperature drops to the thermometer mark of 8-10 ºC.

  Planting daffodils in autumn in the Urals

  Planting daffodils in autumn in the Urals, which one witty gardener called "the land of evergreen tomatoes", is carried out from the first days of August. But if the autumn is warm, you can plant the bulbs at the same time as in the middle lane.

  When to plant in Siberia

  Planting of daffodils and tulips in autumn in Siberia is carried out from August to September, and what dates to do it, be guided by soil temperature and weather forecast.

  Planting daffodils before winter

  Soil for daffodils

  Planting daffodils in autumn is preceded by site selection and soil preparation, which must be done in the summer. Loams are best for daffodils, although they grow on other soils. The optimal soil acidity for daffodils is pH 6.5-7.0. On sandy soils, the bulbs gradually become small, and then flowering stops altogether. In addition, sandy soils freeze deeper, which can lead to the death of bulbs in winter. But if the soil in your garden is cultivated, preparing it for planting daffodils is a simple matter.

  Add humus and clay to sandy soils, and sand to heavy clay soils at the rate of 20 kg per m². Organics - humus, compost or rotted manure - are brought in for digging to a depth of 25-30 cm at least three months before planting, that is, in spring or early summer. Humus will need about 15 kg, manure - 20 kg per m². Fresh manure can be applied to the soil no later than a year before planting daffodils.

  • Gomphrena: cultivation, care, types and varieties

  If you want to set aside a small area for daffodils, you can simply remove the top layer of soil in this place and replace it with a special soil bought in a store or prepared by yourself.

  How deep to plant daffodils

  When you divide the bulbous nest of daffodils, you get planting material of different sizes or, as experts say, of different types. Planting depth is determined by the size of the bulb, amounting to three of its height. That is, above the bulb placed in the ground, there should be a layer of soil equal to two heights of the bulb. For large bulbs of narcissus, this is 15-20 cm, for small ones - 10-15 cm. However, there are some nuances of immersing the bulbs in the soil, which allow you to influence the timing of flowering and the rate of reproduction of daffodils.

  For example, in order for a narcissus to bloom earlier and its bulb to grow the maximum number of children, you need to plant the bulb a little smaller than it should be according to the formula. If you want the flowers to open later, and the children do not grow as quickly, plant the bulb a little deeper than recommended. For those who are interested in the flowering of daffodils, it is better to plant bulbs of the “extra” class, that is, large ones, and children are more suitable for breeding rare varieties.

  How to plant

  So, in the spring you have chosen a sunny or semi-shady area, prepared it for daffodils, and now it's time to plant them in the ground.

  How to plant daffodils? Dig holes according to the size of the bulbs at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other if the planting material is large, and 7-10 cm if you are planting babies. Place a layer of sand in the bottom of each hole, then place the bulbs upside down in them and lightly press them into the sand to make sure that there is no void under the bottom. Sprinkle each bulb with wood ash, then fill the hole halfway with soil, and fill the remaining space of the hole with the same soil, but with the addition of a complex mineral fertilizer with a predominance of phosphorus and potassium in an amount half as much as it should be according to the instructions. If the weather is not rainy, water the area generously.

  Caring for daffodils after planting

  Caring for daffodils in autumn

  Autumn planting of daffodils is done in late summer or early autumn, and caring for planting bulbs before the onset of cold weather should serve one purpose - the formation of roots in daffodils. It is no longer necessary to add top dressing to the soil - when preparing the site and planting, you made a sufficient amount of fertilizer.

  Watering of daffodils is carried out as the soil dries out, but if it rains, then it's time to worry about the bulbs not getting wet, therefore, with too heavy rainfall against the background of a cold snap, it is better to temporarily cover the area with daffodils with a film. In dry autumn, water the daffodils as needed and loosen the soil from time to time in the area to break up the crust that forms on the soil.

  • Armeria: growing from seeds, planting and care

  Winter care for daffodils

  Daffodils need shelter in winter, especially in areas where frost is common. At the first frost, carefully loosen the soil in the area with daffodils, and then mulch the surface with a layer of peat, dry leaves, straw, sawdust or wood ash 10-15 cm thick. Or cover the planting with lutrasil or spunbond.

  Transplanting daffodils

  Narcissus grows in one place for up to five years, but then its bulb must be removed from the soil, the children should be separated from it and planted. Sometimes this needs to be done once every five years, and sometimes more often, because the growth and development of plants depends on many factors. However, experts say that it is not worth dividing the bulb earlier than after three years. If you notice that your daffodils have become overgrown and have begun to bloom less, these are sure signs that it is time to repot them.

  When to transplant daffodils - in spring or autumn? It is better to do this after the daffodils have faded. But not immediately, but only when the leaves of the flowers turn yellow and fall down, and this happens with daffodils closer to the middle of summer.

  As soon as the compact daffodil bushes begin to break down, remove the bulbs from the ground with a small fork, cut off the remaining stems and leaves from them and place them in a dark, dry place to dry. When the bulbs dry, clean the ground from them, carefully separate only those babies that easily leave on their own, discard diseased, deformed, soft or diseased bulbs, and rinse the quality bulbs under running water, pickle for 10-15 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate dark pink and again put to dry in a dry dark place with a temperature not exceeding 25 ºC and good ventilation, then store.

  When to transplant daffodils in autumn? From August to October. Transplantation is carried out in the order we have already described on a site prepared in advance. You also know how to cultivate the soil for daffodils.

  How to store daffodils until planting in the fall

  If you dug up daffodil bulbs in July and only need to plant them in September or even October, the question arises of how and where to store them until planting. And this question can become a problem. The fact is that narcissus bulbs are poisonous - during storage they emit gas, from which the bulbs themselves can suffer in a room without ventilation. Therefore, put them in a box and keep them somewhere in the garden under a canopy, in the shade.

  If for some reason you decide to postpone the planting of daffodils until spring, you will have to store the bulbs all winter. It is best to find a place for them in a gloomy room with a temperature of 10-12 ºC and air humidity within 70%. Arrange the bulbs on a wooden shelf or in a crate in a single layer and try to inspect them weekly for rot or other disease.

  • Kolkvitsia: growing in the garden, types and varieties

  If there are white or yellow spots on the bulbs, or if there is a bad smell, immediately dispose of such planting material before the infection spreads to neighboring bulbs. Soft bulbs are also to be removed.

  Detailed article on growing daffodils in the garden

  Don't worry about the fact that daffodils can be damaged by rodents - as already mentioned, they are poisonous flowers, and they can fend for themselves.

  Literature

  1. Read related topics on Wikipedia
  2. Peculiarities and other plants of the Amaryllidaceae family
  3. List of all species on The Plant List
  4. Learn more
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