Narcissus (Daffodil) - Key Growing Information
DAYS TO GERMINATION:
Plant the bulbs in fall for flowers in spring.SOWING:
If you can't plant right away, you can hold bulbs for up to a month. Open all bags and boxes and keep the bulbs somewhere cool, dark, dry and airy, such as a root cellar, basement or garage. The refrigerator crisper also works, but not alongside ripening fruit: ethylene from apples and other fruit can kill or deform the flower inside the bulb. Anywhere from 38 to 65°F (3–18°C) is fine; cooler is better, but don't let them freeze. Plant soon after the bulbs arrive (or right after prechilling, below), once the soil has cooled to 55°F (13°C) or below and nights are reliably 40–50°F (4–10°C), but before the ground freezes. Planting about 5–6 weeks ahead of freeze-up gives the bulbs time to root. Note in Hardiness Zones 9–10: Daffodils need a cold period while dormant to form flowers. We don't currently sell prechilled bulbs, so in Zones 9–10 you'll need to chill them yourself at 38–45°F (3–7°C) for about 16–18 weeks before planting. Leave the bulbs in their bags and put them in the refrigerator; a longer chill is fine, but a shorter one isn't. Keep them away from fruit, especially apples. Plant right after chilling, during the coolest part of the year. Because winters there aren't cold enough, prechilled bulbs will bloom only once, the spring after planting. Planting Bulbs: Loosen the soil 8–12" deep so roots can establish, and work some compost into the root zone to help roots and growth. Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Press each bulb in upright, pointed end up and flat base down, and cover it with soil 2½–3 times as deep as the bulb is tall, a little deeper in light soil; a 1½" bulb, for example, needs 4–5" of soil on top. When in doubt, err on the deep side. Planting all bulbs at the same depth helps them bloom together. Water right after planting and keep the soil moist, not soggy, until the ground freezes.LIGHT PREFERENCE:
Full or partial sun. Narcissus cope with some shade, especially in hot weather, but need at least 5–6 hours of sun a day while blooming.PLANT HEIGHT:
Depends on the variety.PLANT SPACING:
Set bulbs 1–6" apart; wider spacing leaves room for them to multiply. Don't split off small bulbs attached at the base; plant the cluster whole.HARDINESS ZONES:
See each variety.VASE LIFE:
Lasts 4–6 days in the vase. Daffodil sap can harm other cut flowers, so for mixed arrangements, stand daffodils in their own water for 12–24 hours before combining them.STORAGE TEMPERATURE:
Store cut stems at 32–35°F (0–2°C).HARVEST:
For longer stems and less sap, reach down to the base of the stem and pull gently. Leave the foliage when picking, since the plant needs its leaves to build energy for next year's flowers. Keep watering after bloom so the bulbs can develop for next season, and deadhead any flowers you don't cut. Don't mow the foliage until it has turned brown.SOIL REQUIREMENTS:
Bulbs need well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0. Amend according to a soil test to correct pH and improve drainage; raised beds or added compost help drainage. Avoid excess nitrogen and fresh manure.NOTES: Water during dry spells even after flowering ends, because the plants need moisture to build the bulbs that make next year's blooms. Well-kept daffodil plantings stay productive year after year, as each bulb gradually multiplies into a clump. Dig and divide clumps every 4–5 years, ideally in late summer once the foliage has fully died back, and replant right away.Scientific Name:
Narcissus spp.
Alternate Common Names:
Daffodil, daffadowndilly, narcissus, jonquil.
