How to Grow Daffodils

Daffodils are members of the Narcissus family and were originally found growing wild in the wooded areas of Europe, as the above anecdote illustrates. Daffodils are relatively easy to grow, and if you decide to plant them you’ll be glad you did because they are usually the first flowers to bloom come spring time, and their display of brilliant color is always a welcome surprise. Below is a brief guide to getting started growing daffodils.

You should order your bulbs around March or April so you can receive them around September. When choosing daffodil bulbs, always pick the ones that are larger and more healthy as they will result in bigger blooms – the bulb is where the plant food is stored. Good bulbs feel heavy and firm; avoid any with soft spots or those that look dried out. Store them in a cool dry place with plenty of air flow. If you live in a warm climate with mild winters, don’t forget to refrigerate your bulbs for a few weeks upon receiving them, to replace the winter cold they require. The chill of the refrigerator will also help them adjust to their new climate.

Wait until it’s almost time for the first freeze to plant your bulbs – aim for about two to four weeks ahead of the freeze, which will probably be around the middle or end of November. If you have miniature bulbs, plant them about 2 inches deep; and if you have full size bulbs plant them approximately five to seven inches deep, keeping them four to six inches apart – the planting doesn’t have to be exactly precise. If your soil is sandy, plant them a little bit deeper. Be sure to use some bulb fertilizer in each hole, and also giving them a small amount of superphosphate won’t hurt either. Daffodils grow best in slightly acidic soil, so you may need to add a little sulfur to yours. Don’t water your bulbs before the rainy season starts because as soon as the bulbs detect moisture, they send out roots that can get various fungal infections; and remember that your soil must be well-draining. Use some low nitrogen fertilizer to treat the soil; a 5-10-10 will generally be best. Continue watering your daffodils after they have bloomed for about three weeks as they will need adequate amounts of water. But never allow them to sit in standing water, just keep the soil moderately moist.

Because daffodils are indigenous to wooded areas, they are used to growing in places that are both sunny and shady. But if you have a choice, it’s best to keep them in indirect light or diffused light, which means a spot with plenty of sun yet the flowers are not directly in it.

Wait until your foliage starts to turn yellow or fully dies off before you cut it, so that all the food energy will get stored in the bulbs. To get rid of the plant, cut it near the base or simply twist off the leaves. Around June, dig your bulbs up, wash them thoroughly, and air dry them in the sun for at least a week or so. Then store them in some panty hose or an onion sack and hang them up in the coolest space you can find with plenty of air flow to prevent rotting. Keep them stored this way until next November.

You won’t have to dig up your bulbs if it is dry during the summer in your area. But if you feel like planting anything near where they are located, you will have to dig them up because moisture combined with heat means your bulbs are guaranteed to rot.

Chipmunks, squirrels and other animals in the rodent family won’t eat any of your daffodil bulbs (or any other bulb in the Narcissus family) because they don’t approve of the taste of the sap inside them. And humans should never eat any part of a daffodil because all parts are highly poisonous! However, the fragrance they emit is not harmful in any way.

If you want to have a beautiful display of daffodils all spring long, try this tip: Choose three different varieties; one that blooms early, another that blooms mid-season, and one that blooms late. Make sure you include those of varying heights as well. For example, one arrangement might be to use ‘Jack Snipes,’ ‘Ice Follies,’ and ‘Barrett Brownings.’ The ‘Jack Snipe’ will bloom around March, then the ‘Ice Follies’ follow a little later, and finally the ‘Barrett Browning’ type will bloom in April. And why not add a garden flag to show off your display.

The International Daffodil Register lists 26,000 different cultivars and species, even though the majority of daffodils growing wild have declined. As already stated, they all belong to the genus Narcissus, which is the flower's botanical name derived from the Greek word ‘narke,’ meaning “narcotic,” – the fantastic fragrance of the flower is said to produce a “deathlike” sleep. The daffodil is also the official symbol of Wales.

Here are a few different types of daffodils:

• Poet’s Daffodil – it has large white petals with a small brilliantly colored cup that is sometimes outlined in red; also very fragrant.
• Kissproof – a popular almost weatherproof daffodil; apricot-colored petals with a dark orange or reddish crown; it’s an early bloomer with a thick stem.
• Professor Einstein – (yes, that’s really its name!) has white petals with an orange cup; stems are flexible with lots of movement; be aware that the cup will burn if it gets too much sunlight.
• Trepolo – white petals with unusual orange stripes in the center.
• Cum Laude – a great pink split corona; easy to force grow in pots; every two or three years it will need to be divided.
• Jumblie – it has a long straight apricot-colored cup with golden petals that shoot almost straight back.
• Sun Disc – pale round petals that overlap around a shallow yellow cup; reaches heights of 5 to 10 inches.
• Rip Van Winkle - a miniature daffodil with shaggy-looking petals, similar to someone’s tousled hair after rising from sleep; this daffodil has existed since the 1880s.