Planting daffodils: how and when to do it

The best time to plant daffodil bulbs is in the fall , especially around October. In this way, the plant will flower between the end of winter and spring. However, planting time can be delayed or advanced up to a full month, depending on the needs and the weather.

In any case, if the climate where it is cold and there will be frosts, you need your bulbs to have been planted at least two weeks by the time they arrive, preferably four.

If you like bulbous plants , we recommend discovering more species that you could have at home in this other article about 15 bulb plants .

If you want to plant potted daffodils , follow this simple step-by-step with tips:

1. Get a daffodil bulb or bulbs . When choosing the bulb, opt for the largest ones that you find available, and it is especially important that these are not soft to the touch. A soft bulb will most likely be diseased or rotten. In addition, it is also important not to acquire the bulbs until you are going to plant them.
2. Prepare a substrate that is light and provides good drainage. A mixture of equal parts coconut fiber , worm castings, and peat, with an added perlite, will be a great option.
3. Prepare the container by disinfecting it, especially if it is not new, and filling it with substrate. The pot should be about 30 cm deep or more, since the roots of these plants can develop vertically. Make sure the pot has drainage holes.
4. Fill the container halfway with the mixture and plant the bulbs.
5. You can plant them separately in different pots, but it is common to place several bulbs in each of them. Spread them around the perimeter of the container, close but not touching, and make sure the tips are pointing upwards. Bury the larger bulbs deeper, and the smaller ones less deeply but respecting the position of the others.
6. Cover the bulbs with soil completely, leaving several cm above, and water.
7. Take the pot to a lighted place where it does not receive direct sunlight once the leaves appear above the substrate.
8. Water again every time the substrate dries out.

Planting the bulbs outdoors is not very different from doing it in a pot, although, for obvious reasons, the choice of location is much more important. Follow these steps to plant daffodils in the ground or outdoors :

1. Choose an illuminated spot to place the daffodils, which receives many hours of sun a day but is protected from the hours of greatest incidence, if you live in an area with very strong sun. Also, look at the drainage that the soil offers. If when watering or raining the water seeps quickly, it is a good location. If, on the other hand, it floods, you should not plant your bulbs there because they will rot.
2. In the same way as in the pot, plant the daffodil bulbs preferably in groups, with the larger ones deeper than the smaller ones, and making sure that the tips of all of them are at least a few centimeters below the surface.
3. After sowing, water abundantly and do it again every time the soil is dry. You will see that the bulbs sprout and the daffodils grow as the days go by.

These are the basic guidelines to follow when caring for daffodils :

• Light: the daffodil will always appreciate being in a location that is as bright as possible, although away from direct sunlight. Despite this, it also has the ability to flourish in semi-shady conditions.
• Climate: the ideal temperature for daffodils to bloom is between 16ºC and 20ºC during the day. When planting the bulbs, do it at least two weeks before the first frosts.
• Watering: in the warm months, it is important to keep the soil with a certain degree of humidity at all times, although you should never get waterlogged.
• Earth: precisely because the daffodil requires that the soil is usually humid, it requires that the soil or substrate in which it is planted must offer great drainage. The bulbs do not tolerate waterlogging, and excess moisture could lead to rot.
• Fertilizer: for the flowers to develop as well as possible, it is convenient to apply high potassium fertilizer during the hot months.
• Pruning: keep in mind that you can cut the flower from the plant, but this will weaken the bulb considerably, so try not to abuse it. When you go to practice pruning after flowering, wait for the aerial part of the plant to dry completely. It is best to wait until May or June.

If you want to read more articles similar to Planting daffodils: how and when to do it , we recommend that you enter our category of Growing and caring for plants .