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To
find growing information unique to your region, please look at this PDF
file.
Below are general growing
tips:
(1) Visit Local
and American Daffodil Society's daffodil shows in
March, April and May and see the many different varieties available. Also, visit the local
display gardens. Nothing beats seeing the different blooms. Decide what colors and
forms you like best.
(2) Write for catalogs
in late March or April. Order and pay for your bulbs in April, May, or June. Growers will ship
the bulbs to you in September, so put them in a cool (not
refrigerator) and airy place. Plant the bulbs when grounds have
cooled, in some climates September and for warmer climates in November.
(3) Choose a well-drained, sunny place.
Hillsides and raised beds are best. DRAINAGE is the key. Spade at least twelve inches
deep. Improve your clay with well-rotted compost, soil amendment, or planting mix and
raise the bed. Slightly acidic soil is best, so you might add soil sulfur if you have
alkaline soil.
(4) Plant your daffodils so that their top
(pointed end) is at least two times as deep as the bulb is high (top of a 2" bulb is
4" deep). Exactness isn't crucial; they'll adjust. Plant bulbs deeper in sandy soil
than in clay.
(5)Top-dress again with 5-10-10 when
the leaf-tips emerge. As they flower, top-dress with 0-10-10 or 0-0-50. High-nitrogen
fertilizer should be avoided.
(6) Daffodils need lots of water while they
are growing. Water immediately after planting and keep them moist until the rains come.
Continue watering for three weeks or so after blooming time; then stop watering. The bulbs
make their next year's bloom after flowering. (Your first-year bloom is largely due to the
previous grower of the bulb.)
(7) You may leave daffodils down
in the ground for between 3 to 5 years. If blooming does not happen
one season, it would be best to move them to a new location.
(8)After blooming, never cut the foliage until it begins to yellow (usually late May or June).
Then is the time to dig them. Wash the bulbs thoroughly and let them dry completely (at
least a week). Put them in onion sacks (or panty hose) and hang them in
the coolest place you can find until ready to plant. Good air circulation will keep storage rot
at a minimum.
(9) Join the ADS and a
local daffodil
society near you and have a good time socializing with another group of garden folks. The
following spring, bring your prize blooms to one of our events and show your growing
skills.
Your Best-in-Show
daffodil is but a year away!
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