Narcissus flower: planting and care
In other gardens, daffodils grow on their own, like weeds. And some summer residents do not want to do anything. Why is this happening? Most likely, the bulbs were planted incorrectly. Or the plants were not properly cared for. Although daffodils seem simple, they have royal manners.

Rules for planting daffodils

In order for daffodils to please with abundant flowering, it is important to choose a good place for them and plant them at the optimum time.

Place for planting

The site for planting daffodils should be flat, preferably on a small hill, where spring melt water will not accumulate – the bulbs rot from excess moisture. The ideal option is a slope to the south side.

These plants do not like bright sun, especially varieties with a pink and orange crown: they burn out under direct rays. Therefore, it is best to plant them between deciduous trees or along the edge of tree trunks. Daffodils begin to bloom before the leaves bloom, so the sun is enough for them. But you should not plant them under coniferous trees – there is too dense a shadow.

And another point: the place where daffodils grow should be protected from strong winds – in a quiet place they bloom longer.

Daffodil bulbs are not eaten by mice – the scales contain toxic substances. Therefore, daffodils are often planted around other bulbous plants: hazel grouse, lilies, small bulbous species. It turns out a kind of natural protection.

soil

Any soil is suitable for daffodils, but most of all they like loam (1), preferably rich in nutrients (2). The only option that these flowers do not favor is poor sandy areas. Under such conditions, daffodils usually bloom for the first year – due to previously accumulated nutrients. Then the bulbs shrink and flowering stops. In addition, sandy soils cool more strongly – there is a risk that the bulbs will freeze in winter.

You can solve the problem if you add humus to such soil – 2 buckets per 1 sq. m, and then dig the site. But this should be done at the beginning of summer, 3 months before planting the bulbs. Instead of humus, you can use fresh manure – 2 buckets per 1 sq. m, but it must be paid in a year. It is absolutely impossible to add organic matter to the soil before planting daffodils!

Before planting, regardless of the type of soil, fertilizers must be applied: 2 tbsp. spoons of double superphosphate, 1,5 tbsp. spoons of potassium sulfate and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ammonium nitrate per 1 sq. m.

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Planting time

Bulbs of daffodils are planted in a permanent place at the end of August (3) or the first half of September. It is not worth planting later, otherwise in the spring the plants may not bloom, or even die altogether – they simply do not have time to develop the root system. And if planted earlier, they will germinate and young shoots will be killed by frost.

Depth of landing

Daffodil flowers are planted to a depth equal to three bulb heights (by the way, this rule applies to all bulbous plants). That is, if the bulb is 5 cm high, then it must be planted to a depth of 15 cm. Please note: the planting depth of daffodils is considered from the bottom, and not from the top! The distance between the bulbs should be 15 – 20 cm.

And a couple more tricks. If you want your daffodils to bloom early, plant them a little smaller than normal. In this case, by the way, they form more child bulbs. And if you need to push flowering to a later date – a little deeper (about 3 cm), but then there will be fewer children in the nest.

Caring for daffodils outdoors

Some varieties of daffodils cannot winter without shelter. More persistent ones tolerate our harsh winters well. But if possible, it is better to protect all plantings from frost.

Cover daffodils at the onset of stable frosts. Dry foliage, spruce branches, peat, compost, chopped straw, hardwood sawdust are best suited for these purposes – they are poured with a layer of 15 – 20 cm.

Shelter daffodils need not only for the winter, but also in the fall, if it often rains. The fact is that until the bulbs grow roots, they can easily rot. Therefore, after planting, it is better to cover the site – with a sheet of plywood, slate or something else that does not let water through.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about growing daffodils with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

What colors go with daffodils in the garden?

Daffodils go well with other spring bulbous flowers – tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, chionodoxes, blueberries, pushkinia, snowdrops and muscari. Late varieties can be planted in the company of brunner, bergenia, primroses and survivors.

Can you grow daffodils in a pot?

It is possible, but in order for them to bloom, it is important to observe the temperature conditions.

 

The dormant period for daffodils is about 4 months. At this time, pots with planted bulbs need to be provided with cold conditions – 3 – 9 ° C. As soon as sprouts appear, the temperature is increased to 10 ° C. After about a week, they need to be moved to a warmer place, where it will be 15 – 18 ° C. At higher temperatures, leaves and buds may wilt.

How to store daffodil bulbs before planting?

The easiest and most reliable option is to put them in the refrigerator door. There they will remain without problems until landing.

Sources of

  1. Kudryavets D.B., Petrenko N.A. How to grow flowers. A book for students // M .: Education, 1993 – 176 p.
  2. Aleksandrova M.S., Krestnikova A.D. Greening of balconies. Reference manual // Moscow, “Forest industry”, 1991 – 216 p.
  3. A group of authors, ed. Milovidova I.B. Flowers around us, 2nd ed., add. // Saratov, Privolzhskoe book publishing house, 1986 – 160 p.

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