Daffodil Planting Guide & Bulb Care

Grow All You Need to Know About Spring Daffodil Narcissus

A bunch of daffodils denotes joy and happiness yet a single daffodil signifies misfortune, white daffodils are used to mark the tenth wedding anniversary in Australia. It is also believed after the Greek god Narcissus who drowned while admiring his own reflection falling into a pond and drowning is how the name Narcissus came about. The daffodil is also preserved in poems by William Wordsworth, Oscar Wilde and others, these bulbs are found in yellow, orange, white and pinks and richer colours these days. Daffodils do well in cold climates when they are fully or partially exposed to the sun in loamy soil, that is not too acidic. Daffodils are usually a sure sign of spring as they mostly flower in spring but early flowering varieties flower in winter in early July with the Jonquils. Did you know Jonquils, Narcissus, Daffodils, and Paperwhites are variants of the one flower and members of the genus Narcissus belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family? Spring is the time daffodils are at their element and when they bloom best. Daffodils are usually available to buy from late summer

When do you Buy, Plant and Grow Daffodils Narcissus in Australia

Buy Daffodil Bulbs – Daffodil bulbs are available to buy late summer to early autumn.
Planting Daffodils – The bulbs are best planted from March and April, you can plant daffodils in pots all year round.
Daffodils Flowering Time – Daffodils narcissus flowers do flower in late winter and spring in Australia.

Uses of the Daffodil Flower

Daffodils, an emblem of Wales are usually worn on Saint David’s Day. Daffodil flowers in China are considered to be their sacred lily, as well as symbolising good wealth and good fortune. The daffodil being used as an emblem of Chinese New Year providing that the daffodil flowers in your garden on New Year’s Day, is believed to bring you good fortune for the coming year. Nevertheless, England celebrates the first Sunday of April Daffodil Sunday, people pick the daffodils and take them to hospitals in London.

An annual daffodil day in Australia is held each year to spread the awareness of cancer which was also a symbol in the year 2000 that represented the hope of a cancer free future. The daffodil is also a symbol of rebirth, new beginnings and eternal life. The daffodil is also a symbol of rebirth, new beginnings and eternal life. Daffodils are very popular in Australia their flowers are very cheerful and striking, beautiful yellow or white and they have six petals, they also have a central corona that is shaped like a trumpet. Their stems hold between 1 to 20 flowers, these flower bulbs come in trumpet shaped daffodils, triandrus daffodils, jonquilla daffodils, poeticus daffodils, miniature daffodils, split corona daffodils, short cup daffodils, long cup daffodils, bulbocodium hybrids, cyclamineus daffodils, tazetta daffodils. Daffodils look wonderful when planted in a woodland garden, large groves, between shrubs or in a border in the garden. Some gardeners plant hundreds of bulbs, as a result, their flowers are perfect for cutting and putting in vases. Daffodils are widely available in nurseries, online, from mail order catalogues or in supermarkets usually in flower

Steps on How to Grow Daffodils.

Daffodil varieties are suited to any climate but need planting in autumn to be established before winter. Choose an area that you will expose the daffodil flowers to full sun. Most daffodils do grow well in a range of soils but thrive best in moderately fertile with added manure to the soil before planting.  Well drained soil is a need as well as moist soil while they are actively growing. Daffodils can be grown in pots or in the garden in clumps and are easily combined with other spring bulbs. They make good cut flowers. There is no need to lift daffodils from the ground each year. They are easy to grow and provide great sunny yellow flowers cheering up your garden from end of winter to the end of spring. Did you know you can buy white daffodils as well?

Daffodils Planting Guide

• Large Daffodil bulbs need planting at a depth 8 inches deep smaller daffodils 4 inches deep
• The best time to plant daffodils is in autumn that is, 2 to 4 weeks before winter.
• Daffodils should be spaced 3 to 6 inches apart.
• During planting, put in a little bulb fertiliser in the planting hole or old manure.

Feeding Daffodils

What to Feed Daffodils apply fertilisers low in nitrogen and high in potash before flowering, a sprinkle of blood and bone after flowering does wonders for next seasons flowers. At planting time you can add special spring bulb fertiliser or old manures to your existing soil.

Pruning and After Care of Daffodils after the flowers

While daffodil leaves must be left on the plant until they die, it is ok to cut the spent flowers and stems once the daffodils have finished flowering. You can grow plants in front of the daffodils such as

Daylilies
Chrysanthemums
Hostas

Daffodil Leaves Never cut or tie the leaves till they die down as this is next years flowers so look after the leaves and wait till they die down completely before they are removed.

How force Spring Bulbs to flower Indoors

Feeding Daffodils Apply a fertiliser that is low in nitrogen, or high in potash before flowering.

• Daffodils flower late sometimes, and if this happens, it is advisable to keep watering them in dry spring weather.
• Divide Daffodil Clumps when flowers become sparse or congested usually every 4 years.
• After the daffodil plants have flowered in spring, keep watering them for 3 weeks after bloom then let them die off naturally.
• Daffodils finished flowering – Time is needed after the daffodils finish flowering so that energy is stored back in the bulbs for the next year.
• In readiness for next year’s blooms, add bone meal to the soil after the daffodils finish flowering.

The best choice of Daffodils In Australia

Popular choices of daffodils grown in Australia are king Alfred, Elicheer, Jetfire, Romance, Tete A Tete, Sentinel, Hoop petticoats, Thalia, Sovereign, Dame Edith, Printal, Changing Colours, Lemon Beauty, Spellbinder, Ellen, Frangelica, Autumn Moon, Las Vegas, Good Looks, Merl, Rip Van Winkle, Sir Winston Churchill, Sweet Love, Isabella, Precocious, Bingo, Red Hill, Brilliant lights, Ice Follies, Pink Valentine, Charles Sturt, Fried Egg, Camelot, Toyota, White Island, Fragrant Rose, Moon Raker, Copper Queen.

Daffodils act as great spring bulbs in the garden with proper care and management, they are bound to grow in the right surroundings for example in pots, in driveways, under deciduous trees, wild daffodils naturalised in paddocks on farms, even in your garden lawn, just plant in clumps in your garden or in a pot then you can bring them  daffodils indoors.

Follow the above procedure and you will be able to enjoy these beautiful bulbs in your garden year after year.