How To Grow Great Daffodils (Narcissus)
Planting Narcissus: When and Where
Plant your daffodils in the fall, around the time of the first frost. Daffodils need sunlight, plant them in a bright place. The bulbs will be dormant in the winter and mostly oblivious to soil conditions until the ground starts to warm up in the spring. But, they will NOT tolerate wet, poorly-drained soil in the summer when the new flower embryos are developing and the bulbs are trying to go dormant. Plant your daffodil bulbs in a sunny location with good drainage and they will brighten your garden for many springs to come.
Daffodil Foliage Is Very Important
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After the daffodil blooms, the foliage must be allowed to mature and die back for the daffodil to grow and bloom properly the next year.
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It will start to become a little unattractive as the foliage browns - You may use companion planting to distract from the unsightly, dying foliage.
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Wait until the foliage is mostly brown before clearing it away.
Dividing Daffodils
This is really simple:
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You can divide your daffodil bulbs as soon as the foliage dies back.
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Gently dig your bulbs out of the ground with your hand to prevent damage.
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Separate them all, small or large (the smaller one may take a little longer to mature once they are replanted, but they should be fine), and either replant them right away or store them for later.
Deadhead for Strong Blooms Next Year
Deadheading prevents the daffodil from seeding, allowing it to focus more energy on storing nutrients in the bulb for next season. When the bloom begins to wilt, simply pluck it off the plant, it's that simple.
This is not a necessary procedure - many gardener's like for their daffodils to seed and spread.
Companion Planting to Cover Dying Foliage
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Choose something that blooms mid to late summer - Peonies and daylilies are excellent companions for daffodils - their later blooms mask the unsightly yellowing foliage as the bulb matures.
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Planting your daffodils in shrubs is another great idea, but remember, they need lots of light.
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Do no plant daffodils where you mow - you will be too tempted to cut right through the foliage.
Look for Park Seed's Daffodils in the fall, we always have a great selection of the most popular varieties. Daffodils are one of our most popular fall-planting items. We also offer many other great flower bulbs for spring and fall.
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