Daffodil Blooms are Done, What Now?

First, let's talk about what NOT to do. Don't cut off the green foliage. You must wait at least six weeks after the bulbs are done blooming before cutting off the foliage. Cutting off the foliage before that impairs next year's flower production. A trial was conducted at Wisley Gardens in England. In one plot, the foliage was cut off after two weeks; in the second plot, the foliage was cut after four weeks; and in a third plot, the foliage was cut after six weeks. The fourth plot was a control plot. Several years later, the bulbs in the first plot had almost all died out. In the second plot, there were some bulbs, but little bloom. The third plot was very close to the control plot. So if you MUST cut off the foliage, waiting at least six weeks will probably do no harm to the bulbs, or to next year's bloom. It's better, though, if you can wait until the foliage has turned yellow.

Many people want to tidy up the garden, and so they fold the daffodil foliage over and tie it up. Please, don't do this either. The idea is for the sunlight to get to the leaves; that makes the bud for next year. I can hear some of you saying, "Oh well, I've done that and it hasn't hurt my bulbs." I'll bet you I get more blooms with my free-flying foliage than you!

People also ask if they should remove the spent blossom stems. This isn't necessary at all. If you want a tidier look, you can pinch off the dead blossom, but leave the stem. It acts like a leaf in food production for the bulb. If you live in a really rainy, damp area, and fungus could be a problem, then you might want to "deadhead" the spent blooms. That cuts down on the chance of fungus.

So, how DO you hide the foliage? If your garden is in the sun, you can plant other sun-loving perennials between clumps of daffodils. Daylilies are a perfect companion plant, as the growing conditions are similar. Iris and peonies are also good choices. Just don't plant perennials that want a lot of water during the summer. Daffodils don't want a lot of water when they're dormant. And you can also plant annuals between the daffodils. Marigolds are great companions to daffodils, as they also repel soil-borne nematodes. A friend in Pennsylvania had a large daffodil garden visible from the street, and he always planted marigolds for the summer. He had as many people coming to admire the marigolds as the daffodils! California poppies are also good in a sunny area. They have the added advantage of seeding themselves for the following year. I'm big on low-maintenance gardening!

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