How to Plant Daffodils

Preparing Your Patch

Pick a site with full sun. Daffodils grow best in full sunlight, however, partial or light shade is also acceptable. Full shade will keep your daffodils from blooming for the first year or two after planting.

Check that your garden has fertile, well-drained soil. Daffodils can grow in many different types of soil, but the ideal soil for daffodil growing is moderately fertile and well drained. Some specialty daffodils prefer alkaline soils, so if you’re going for a particular daffodil breed, consult your nursery for more information.

Plant the daffodils in the fall. Daffodils should be planted in the fall, preferably in October. However, you can plant as early as September or as late as November. If you live in colder climates, aim to start your planting 2 to 4 weeks before the ground freezes.

Buy the bulbs when you’re ready to plant. Buy your bulbs from a reputable source or nursery, and plant them within a week of purchasing. The larger the bulb, the better. Do not buy bargain bulbs, as they might not have a flower in them. Never buy or plant a soft daffodil bulb, as that means there is rot or another disease inside the bulb. Bulbs with two tips will produce two stems. Small bulbs may not flower in their first year.

Planting the Bulbs

Dig holes or trenches for the bulbs. You can, of course, plant each bulb individually, but most gardeners plant trenches of between 3 and 8 bulbs at a time. Feel free to create trenches of whatever shape you want: straight and long trenches create an orderly garden, while more circular clumps produce a more “natural” look.

Give the bulbs the right conditions to grow. Scatter a small handful of bulb fertilizer in each hole or trench, and make sure you properly space your bulbs. Whether you’re planting individual bulbs or trenches, daffodils should be planted 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 cm) apart. Only plant one type of daffodil per hole or trench.

Plant the bulbs. Bulbs should be planted three or four times their depth. For small daffodils like Tete a Tete, aim for 4 inches (10 cm), for larger breeds like Carlton and King Alfred, aim for 6 inches (15 cm) deep. Make sure you put the pointed end facing up. In places with severe winters, ensure at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) of soil covers the bulbs! If you can’t tell which end is “up,” plant the bulb on its side.

Cover the bulbs and water them immediately after planting. Keep the area moist during the duration of the growth, until about three weeks after blooming time. Stop watering once the flowers have been in bloom for three weeks.

Leave the area alone. Even though daffodils form roots in the autumn and develop foliage in winter in select regions, buds and flowers will not show up until spring. Trust that your daffodils are hard at work, and leave the area alone so they can grow well.

Caring for the Flowers

Fertilize bulbs if necessary. If your bulbs are not performing well in spring, give them a low-nitrogen, high-potash fertilizer. Remember that your first year might not yield great results, but ask your nursery or consider replanting if this is a continual problem.

Avoid cutting too many flowers. While you can of course cut daffodils to bring inside or sell to others, bear in mind that cutting too many may jeopardize the bulb growth for future years. Do not place daffodils in the same vase as other flowers. Daffodil sap causes other flowers to wilt.

Let the plants fully die before pruning. Only remove foliage once it has yellowed or dried up. Removing foliage early could jeopardize the subsequent year’s growth. To be safe, don’t start pruning until late May or June.

Protect your plants from pests and disease. Small and large narcissus flies as well as bulb mites are the most common pests to affect the daffodil. If you see these pests or if your bulbs feel soft to the touch, place the bulbs in nearly boiling water for up to three hours (called a hot water treatment). Yellow spots on the stems or leaves may indicate Stem Nematodes. Destroy all the infected plants, and then do a hot water treatment. Treat fungal diseases such as rot and mildew with a fungicide spray, and treat viral diseases, such as the yellow stripe virus, with an insecticide spray or the hot water treatment.