|
Planting Daffodils |
| By Ellen Brown |
|
|
|
Q: I just received a gift of potted Daffodils. Of course, I hope to be able to plant these outside, and I am curious as to the best way to do this. The ground is frozen right now obviously. Do I plant them in spring right from the pot or is there some special care I should take?
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.
|
About The Author:
Ellen Brown is our Green Living and Gardening Expert. Click here to ask Ellen a question! Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
RE: Planting Daffodils
|
Post By Leslie (Guest Post)
(02/26/2006)
|
|
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
RE: Planting Daffodils
|
Post By (Guest Post)
(02/25/2006)
|
|
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)
RE: Planting Daffodils
|
Post By Taylor Marye-Baker (Guest Post)
(02/25/2006)
|
|
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. In October you can plant the bulbs in the ground. Don't ever mow the leaves down before they have completely turned brown or your flowers won't bloom the next year.
RE: Planting Daffodils
|
Post By Kim (Guest Post)
(02/24/2006)
|
|
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!
|
|
|
|
| Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback if you have registered with ThriftyFun. If you have not yet registered, click here. It's FREE!. If you are not registered you can post feedback as a guest below. Please don't use your email address for your name because spam robots can dredge it from our site. Please do not post your feedback more than ONCE. We need to approve all guest feedback and it may take from minutes to hours for that to happen. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
