How to Grow and Plant Daffodils

  Bulbs come in all sizes, from tiny snowdrop bulbs to the large Alliums. 

Planting too shallow can cause bulbs, particularly Daffodils, to come up" blind" which means without flowers. A good rule of thumb when planting bulbs is always to plant them at least 3x the depth of the bulb. Looking at the bulbs in the image, the large white ones are Hyacinth and all the round ones are Daffodils.

It is clear from this that Hyacinths will need to be planted deeper than Daffodil bulbs, and the smaller Daffodils bulbs, such as Tete at Tete, not so deep. If you are planting a few, it is handy to measure on a bamboo cane the 3x depth, and then each time you dig a hole, put the cane in to check the depth and then plant. 

When choosing where to plant daffodils, it is worth bearing in mind they are vulnerable to poor weather. Snow, heavy rain and gusty winds can cause daffodils to fall over. Sadly, after all the effort you put into planting daffodils, they might bloom and then be flattened by the weather. There are some steps you can take to prevent this set out below.

If you are planting in containers, layer the bulbs with the larges at the bottom, Hyacinth, tulips, daffodils, smaller daffodils, crocus, and snowdrops. This will naturally ensure that the large bulbs enjoy the greater depth of soil. Also, for the first year planting it is not necessary to use fresh compost. New bulbs are a complete unit with their own food source and will grow in old compost. You can use old compost for the first year of planting more information about this.

There are several reasons that daffodils fall over, especially after flowering.

Varieties with large flower heads are more susceptible to bad weather such as snow, heavy rain and gusty winds. The flower heads become even heavier with the rain and then get blown about.

If you are planting daffodils in an exposed area, plant those with shorter stems, they withstand adverse weather better. Check out 10 award winning AGM daffodils with short stems recommended by the RHS. Plant those with larger blooms in sheltered positions, such as tucked in under-planting shrubs. Also, plant these varieties deeper, so they anchor into the soil. If all else fails, try a plant support. If your daffodils fall over, you can try digging them up and replanting deeper. 

How you treat Daffodils after flowering is important for next year's flowers.

It is safe to dead head Daffodils, taking the top, just removing the spent flower and no more. It is important not to tie up or restrict the fading leaves, which will increase the risk of the Daffodils coming up blind next year. The leaves help to provide food to the bulb for next year. 

If you are growing Daffodils in a lawn, avoid mowing for about 6 weeks. This is also the time to feed Daffodils, a balanced liquid feed every couple of weeks until the foliage has died down.

Often spotted growing in the dunes on beaches around the Mediterranean, Pancratium maritimum, the sea daffodil has lovely white flowers on a short stem. In its native habitat, it flowers from August to October and is not related to the daffodil, although it is a bulb. In theory it is possible to grow in the UK, it is hardy down to -5, but the sea daffodil does need a hot summer to induce flowering, markedly absent this year,( and others,) 2023. If there is not enough sun, the flowers might not bloom well. 

You are bound to find it on a beach if you holiday around the Med, along with Sea Holly and other natives.