by Linda Ann Nickerson

Created on: February 27, 2007   Last Updated: April 09, 2012

Would you like to enjoy a bright floral greeting in the your own garden each spring, but you're not sure you have a green thumb?

Daffodils are a great place to start. Plant daffodil bulbs in the fall. In the early spring, as the last snow melts away, you will be rewarded with a brilliant display of cheery color in your yard! If your daffodils are blooming, then spring must be on the way!

• Planting Makes Perfect 

Daffodils can be grown from seed, but they will take five years to bloom. Your best bet is to plant bulbs in autumn before the first frost, while the ground is cool, but still soft. For the best results, select the best daffodil bulbs you can find, and purchase as many as you can afford.

These satisfying flowers are marketed in thousands of colors and varieties, including jonquils, narcissi, and trumpets. Early-, mid-, and late-spring bloomers are available. Planting mixed varieties of daffodils will lead to staggered blooming.

Select a sunny location for planting your daffodil bulbs. Well-drained soil is important, so hillsides, rocky areas, and raised garden beds are excellent choices. . (Daffodils can also grow in flowerpots or window-boxes.)

You can also naturalize your daffodils, by planting the bulbs throughout your yard. They will finish their glorious display before the lawn-mowing season begins.

• How To Plant Daffodils 

Lay the daffodil bulbs out on top of the ground to arrange where you will plant them.

With a garden trowel, loosen the soil at least 12" deep in each planting position. Enrich the soil with potting mix, compost, or organic matter. (Daffodils thrive in somewhat acidic soil, so you may add phosphates from the local garden supply store.)

Plant your daffodil bulbs 3" 5" deep (check package label), with pointed side facing upwards. Add bulb food, if you have it. Each daffodil bulb gets its own hole in the ground.

Don't plant daffodils too closely together. They will need room to multiply. This tactic may create a lovely display the first year, but within a few years, you will find your daffodils too crowded! Space your bulbs at least 3" apart.

Gently cover your daffodil bulbs with soil.

• How To Care For Daffodils 

Water your daffodil plantings well. Daffodils need lots of water, as they begin to grow.

Fertilize, if desired. (Liquid fertilizers, like Miracle-Grow, will foster plant growth and establishment.)

Wherever you live, daffodils will begin blooming as soon as those cold wintry days slip away, and the weather begins warming up.

Don't cut the daffodil leaves back after blooming. Let them soak up sunlight naturally to build up underground bulbs for next year. Continue watering your daffodils for at least three weeks after the flowers have faded. (You might look at this as an investment in next year's garden.)

For appearance, I like to braid the wilting daffodil foliage. This allows my other plantings ample room to sprout in my garden.

Once established, daffodils will continue to multiply and bloom each year! Here's a bonus: rabbits love tulips, but they usually won't eat daffodils!

In most North American climates, you can leave daffodil bulbs in the ground for 3-5 years. After that, they may begin to diminish. If this occurs, you can dig up daffodil bulbs in June. Rinse them well, and allow them to dry before placing them in nylon hosiery and hanging them in a cool, dark place until autumn for replanting.

At fall planting time, you may wish to divide them and share them with another gardener. Hearty daffodil bulbs make an excellent gardening gift in the fall.

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