Planting Daffodils &
Organic Daffodil Care

Planting daffodils provides spring interest and great cut flowers.

Explore these perennial bulb varieties a little deeper and you’ll find a far wider choice of height, color and shape than you may already know. From blousy double cream flowers to deep flaming orange trumpets, new varieties of daffodils appear year after year.

• Planting Daffodils
• Growing Daffodils / Daffodils Care
• Harvesting / Cutting Daffodils
• Daffodils Pests & Diseases
• YOUR Advice, Experiences and Photos

Planting Daffodils: Planting the Seed, Transplanting and/or Root Division

It is possible to grow daffodil bulbs from seed. Sow into pots filled with your own sieved compost or a nutrient-rich seed starting mix. Stand in a shady place in the garden and make sure the soil does not dry out. Leave growing plants in the pots for two growing seasons before planting in the final place in the garden.

Planting daffodil bulbs in the ground should occur during fall when the temperature is 65 to 68 Fahrenheit (18 to 20 degrees C). Find a spot in full sun or partial shade and plant at a depth of twice the bulb’s size. Daffodils work well under trees that create full shade later in the year.

Care of Daffodils

Use an organic bulb food in late winter to feed as the plants begin to grow. Water if the weather is dry during early spring to ensure good quality blooms.

Don’t remove leaves after plants have flowered, as they are needed to encourage next year’s growth. There is no need to use garden supports.

Clumps of daffodils benefit from being divided in the late summer or fall every three or four years to stop them from becoming congested. Use organic mulch to over winter to improve the soil.

Daffodil Harvesting / Cutting Time

Many gardeners grow daffodils as a cut flower. Use sharp garden shears to cut stems and drop them straight into water. Daffodils provide single flowers, so choose varieties that bloom in early and late spring to provide you with continuous flowers.

Daffodil Pests & Diseases

Remove plants with distorted or damaged foliage or signs of lesions on the leaves. This is especially import for daffodils that are naturalized in large areas. Do not replant in previously infested areas for at least two years.

The following pests and diseases have been known to affect the success of growing Daffodils (see Organic Garden Pest Control for information about how to prevent and address pests and diseases)...

Pests

Aphids Bulb flies Bulb mites Foliage-feeding caterpillars

Nematodes Snails and slugs Thrips

Diseases

Armillaria root rot Bacterial streak, soft rot Basal rot Blight, gray mold

Dry rot Gray bulb rot Smoulder Viruses

YOUR Experience & Advice About Planting Daffodils

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Daffodils photo is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.