| Botanical Name: | Narcissus |
| Life Cycle: | perennial bulb |
| Planting Time: | fall |
| Height: | 10" to 18" |
| Exposure: | full sun to light shade |
| Soil: | rich, well-drained soil |
| Hardiness: | zones 3 to 10 |
| Bloom Time: | late winter or early spring |
| Flower: | white, yellow (or combinations of the two), pink, orange and gold; single, double or clusters of cup-shaped flowers surrounded by 6 leaves |
| Foliage: | green |
| Propagation: | bulbs |
| Suggested Use: | beds, borders, walkways and containers |
| Growing Hints: | Purchase bulbs for planting in the summer or fall. Plant bulbs two times as deep as the bulb is tall (about 4 to 6 inches below the surface). If you have heavy clay soil, prepare holes with plenty of peat for drainage or consider planting bulbs in raised beds or containers. Daffodils don't like soggy soil. Plant bulbs in large groups for the greatest color. Choose cultivars from divisions that bloom at slightly different times to keep flowers continuously blooming. |
| Shopping Hints: | "Landscape-size" or "single-nose" bulbs are three years old and produce one flower stem the first season. These bulbs are usually the least expensive. "Bedding-size" or double-nose" bulbs are four years old and produce two stems the first season. "Exhibition-size" or "triple-nose" bulbs are five years old and produce three or more flower stems the first season. They are also the most expensive. |
This page contains the following solutions.
If you are having trouble with something eating your flower bulbs, try planting daffodils around your flower bulbs. Daffodils are toxic to mice and voles. Worked great for me.
Of all the bulbs that bloom in the late winter and early spring, daffodils (Narcissus) are among the easiest and most rewarding to grow. If given minimum care at planting time they will grow, bloom, and increase in number with virtually no further attention from you.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Hardiness Zone: 5a
Thanks for all help. :)
Leslie from Barrie, Ontario
A: Leslie,
You have two good options. The first is to plant your daffodils in the garden in the spring. If all goes well, they will return to their natural cycle, however, it sometimes takes 2 to 3 years for bulbs to come back after being forced indoors.
You can also store them over summer and plant them in the fall the same way you would new bulbs. To do this, keep your plants as healthy and active as you can while indoors. After they bloom, remove the spent flowers to prevent them from forming seeds. Place them in a cool, sunny location and let the foliage die back naturally. Keep the soil moist, but not wet. You can fertilize them once a month with a plant fertilizer until they look like they're dieing back. The longer they stay green, the stronger the bulb will be and the more likely it will bloom next year. After the foliage dies back, quit watering and let the soil dry out.
Store the bulbs in a cool, dry place until you plant them in the fall. Plant the bulbs 2 times as deep as they are tall (usually 4 to 6 inches deep) in full sun. Daffodils do not like soggy soil so make sure to plant them where they get adequate drainage.
Same advice with crocus, Leslie. Just plant them in the ground. Daffodils will only grow greens the first year, and the second year will produce blooms. Like all bulbs, let the leaves die on their own to give nutrition to the bulbs for the following year. This is the hardest thing for me, letting the leaves stay for a while, looking dead with the other flowers but it's necessary. Enjoy them!
My birthday is in March and I always get potted daffodils / jonquils as a gift. For years I planted them in my garden in a circular pattern around our fire pit. Every spring I loved seeing my fairy circle appear. You can place your flower bulbs in the basement or in a dark closet after they have finished blooming.
Hi Leslie....Courtland, Ontario here. I just wait till frost is over and plant both daffodils and crocus. I find they will come up the next year. I have done this with all the outside plants you can buy in the stores before spring, tulips too. good luck, :0)
Thanks, all, that is great. Sounds easy enough.
I am excited to see what happens with them in a couple years. I never knew patience till I started gardening :D
I am going to be planting a lot of bulbs, both tulips and daffodils (separately). I am going to be planting these in a few different areas and I am looking for idea of wildflowers/perennial flowers that would look nice with these two different bulb flowers. The bulbs are both 3 month blooming groups, meaning, there are different types of bulbs within the group so some bloom early, some middle, and some at the end of the season.
Thanks so much!
By mindy from Terrebonne, OR
Dear Mindy, I find good companion plants for bulbs, are Virginian stock or Alyssium (sweet Alice). Both are low growing, gentle plants, and allow the bulbs to be the main attraction.
Check out these photos.
I love gardening, and these daffodils are the first hint that spring is finally here! I spend all summer in my flower gardens taking photos as the blooming progresses.
I just love WV this time of year. After a cold winter and a lot of snow, its great to get out and smell and see the flowers.
This page contains photos of daffodils. Although we may be most familiar with the bright, sunny daffodil variety there are many lovely sizes and colors of this easy to grow bulb.
