With all of the rain predicted for this final weekend of March, make time to grab your favorite vase and cut a cheerful bouquet of daffodils to enjoy!!!
Daffodils are easy, and will return every spring with little maintenance
I live in a woodland setting so I can’t really grow a garden which I miss, or a lawn, which I don’t miss. One of the first signs of spring in our “natural setting” that we have enhanced with a few plantings is the emergence of our daffodils. We separate plants after they are done flowering in the late spring. We plant new bulbs in clusters throughout our woods in the fall. The burst of beautiful yellow flowers we have had over the last two weeks let’s us know spring is here!
If you want to press the “easy button” and be rewarded every spring . . . plant daffodils. No mulching, no watering and they always look great. One hint my wife has is to place an orange flag where we plant until they are established. Daffodils are extremely long-lived. Many old house remnants sport Daffodils still growing around what is left of their foundations!
Planting Tips for Daffodils (Narcissus)
• Plant in the fall with the pointed end of the bulb facing up.
• Plant them at roughly twice as deep as they are wide anywhere from 3-5 inches.
• Prefer full sun but do well in partial shade, such as wooded areas
• Colors available: yellow, white, orange, pink, red, green
• Prefer neutral to slightly acidic soil – 6.0-7.0 pH
• The prefer well drained soils, as with all bulbs, don’t plant where they will waterlog and rot
• USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8
• Propagation – Dig and separate a few weeks after blooming and replant immediately. Make sure they get plenty of water.
• Native to Spain and Portugal – over 50 species and 25,000 hybrids are now available
Source: Jerry Iles, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Fairfield County