Planting Daffodils

Choose a well-drained, sunny place. DRAINAGE is the key.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

After blooming, never cut the foliage until it is yellow (usually late June into July).

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.

Planting in A Flower Bed: How to Hide the Ugly Fading Daffodil Foliage

When planting in a flower bed, keep in mind that the bulbs are renewed each year by allowing the foliage to grow and mature. The maturation process can be a bit ugly as the leaves turn yellow and die back. You may want to plant your daffodils to the rear of the flower bed where they can remain undisturbed and their foliage can be hidden behind your other flowers. Peonies and daylilies (Hemerocallis) are often used as companion plants in front of daffodils for this reason.

Planting Daffodils With Shrubs or Trees
I like to see daffodils planted in shrub beds where they can bloom, grow their foliage, and die back without causing too much disruption to the overall look of the garden.

Another location I like is along the edge of an informal wooded area where they will receive at least a half a day of sun. The flowers will turn toward the sun when they bloom, so keep that in mind when you decide where to plant them.

Read more at Suite101: Daffodil Planting Tips: Practical Tips and Pointers on Planting Daffodil Narcissus or Jonquil Bulbs to Help Achieve the Long Lasting Results You Want from Formal to Informal Planting | Suite101.com http://barbarammartin.suite101.com/daffodil-planting-tips-a8368#ixzz1Yt3qUPE8