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Planting Daffodil Bulbs - Page 2

© Mary Lou Gripshover

To plant bulbs in the sod, use a broad spade and make a cut along three sides, and turn the sod up. Dig the hole about eight inches deep, and work up the soil in the bottom, adding peat, sand, or other humus as needed. Add about a tablespoon of low nitrogen fertilizer (5-10-10, or similar) and mix well. Never add fresh manure, as it promotes bulb rot. Bonemeal is not beneficial. Add a handful of sand and place the bulbs on the sand. Cover the bulbs with soil, and replace the sod. If planted properly, bulbs in the sod can live and bloom for many years with a minimum of care. If you're planting lots of bulbs in sod, you may wish to investigate the feasibility of investing in, or renting, the bulb drills which have been advertised recently. The sod makes a fine winter mulch for the bulbs. Remember, though, that you cannot cut the grass where the daffodils have been planted for at least six weeks after they have bloomed. The foliage is required to make the bloom for the following year.

If you're preparing a new garden area, dig the soil deeply and mix in humus as required-peat, fine pine bark, compost, ground leaves, etc. Some gardeners add gypsum to heavy clay soils to help break down the soil. Add some low-nitrogen fertilizer and mix well. Be sure the fertilizer doesn't touch the bulbs. Bulbs should be planted between four to six inches deep, and about six inches apart. Shallow planting encourages bulb division which will require more frequent lifting. Daffodils need digging and dividing when the blooms become smaller, or you have noticeably fewer blooms. They can usually be left in place for five to seven years without being divided.

If you have miniature daffodil bulbs, plant them about three inches deep. Some growers use plastic berry baskets when planting miniature bulbs. Put the berry basket in the ground and place the bulbs in the basket. This makes it easier to find the small bulbs when you lift them several years later.

Add a label, or make a map of your planting. Who knows, you may want to order more of the same cultivar another year, or you may decide to enter a flower show. In any case, it's nice to know the names of the plants that bloom in your garden.

After all bulbs have been planted, cover the area with mulch and water thoroughly. During the winter, you can put the ashes from your fireplace on the ground where you've planted daffodils. They love the potash. In subsequent years, broadcast the low-nitrogen fertilizer over the daffodil areas each fall. The bulbs will repay you with years of bloom.

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