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Basics of Daffodil Growing

© Clay Higgins

Note: This is a repeat subject from last year, however, it answers the same questions that are beginning to be asked again. Please bear with me if you read last year's article.

Growing Daffodils

Growing daffodils is easy and fun. It's easy as there is no "a" to "z" of growing daffodils. It's fun as minor applications of basic gardening practices are guaranteed to bring success.

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Note: This is a picture (taken in late April 2000) of my "peanut garden" in the immediate front right is 'Pipit' a reverse bicolor jonquil, and some of my triandrus daffodils naturalized along the front of the house in the far distance. It's getting a little late for the daffodils, and they are just about gone, and the perennials have not yet taken hold, however in the immediate left within the peanut are the first foliage of my Lycoris, "naked ladies." To the immediate left front (foliage looks like grass and is hard to see in the mulch) are some late N. jonquilla, that have not yet come into bloom.

First Step

The first stop in growing daffodils is to determine the daffodils that you want to plant, and a source to obtain them. Daffodils can be obtained in many ways, from catalog ordering in the spring for fall delivery, or select bulbs that arrive in the home center type stores like "Home Depot" or "Wal-Mart" in September each year.

Yellow is the most favorite color, and the yellow trumpet is the one daffodil with the reputation of giving the brightest color in the spring. My recommendation is to get a mixture of colors. I also suggest tall daffodils that will swing gracefully in the spring breezes, versus those stiff ones that do not.

Planting Depth

Plant the daffodil from six to eight inches down from the top of the bulb. Make sure the round-flat part is down, and the pointed part up. The smaller bulbs should be planted more shallow than the large bulbs. In the colder climates, heavy mulching may be necessary, and less necessary toward the warmer climates.

How Much Water

In the United States, there is not much concern for watering of the daffodils except for the dry areas such as southern California. When first planted, give them enough water such that the entire bulb is damp. A pint of water for each bulb should do the trick. There is no need to make a quagmire, just normal watering until the soil is

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