Strategies for Post-Bloom Daffodil Care from Professionals
Cheer Up Spring: How to Care for Daffodils Beyond Their Bloom
Daffodils, the unmissable harbingers of spring, might bring joy to your yard, but what happens after their cheerful blooms wilt? With the right post-bloom care, these charming flowers will grace your garden for numerous spring seasons. Follow these expert tips to maintain your daffodils at their best, so you can marvel at their beauty year after year.
Steve Hampson is the president of the American Daffodil Society.
1. Say Goodbye to Spent Blooms
Once daffodils have passed their prime, chop off faded flowers and any seed pods that have sprouted, Hampson suggests. "Neglecting to remove spent flowers and seed pods can drain the plant's energy and lessen its bloom for the next year," he explains.
Use sharp pruning shears to trim off the tired flower head at the base, where the seed pod forms.
5 highly-rated Pruning Shears## 2. Hold on to the Leaves
Leaving the leaves alone is the most essential aspect of post-bloom daffodil care. Gardeners are often tempted to tidy up the plant by lopping off the green leaves. However, resist that urge! Let the leaves turn brown or yellow and shed naturally. These leaves act like solar panels, producing food for the bulb through photosynthesis.
"The leaves create sustenance for next year's blossoms," Hampson explains. "When daffodil foliage looks unsightly after blooming, people want to cut it down, especially once the leaves turn yellow." Hampson warns that hacking off the foliage immediately following bloom can reduce flowering in the upcoming year, weakening the plant.
If the yellowing daffodil foliage is too much of an eyesore in your garden, try planting perennials or annuals nearby that will bloom and hide the daffodils as they're dying. "Opt for plants that will spring up just when the daffodils are fading," Hampson advises.
3. Moisturize in Autumn
Give daffodils roughly an inch of water per week during the growing season, which is typically from fall when the roots are forming through spring when they blossom.
"You won't observe above-ground leaves during this time," Hampson elaborates, "[but] that's when they're growing below the surface. The exact amount of water may differ depending on soil type, with clay soils needing less frequent watering because they retain moisture longer than sandy soils."
4. Dryness in Summer
Post-foliage turn and death, the bulbs enter their dormant phase for the summer, Hampson explains. Over-watering during this period can lead to bulb rot, especially in hot, humid conditions.
"Generally, they receive enough spring rainfall that extra water isn't needed," he says. "However, if you experience a prolonged dry spell, you might want to provide a little additional water to encourage good flowering the following year."
Tulip Bulb Care After Flowering: Expert Guidance## 5. Hold Off on Fertilizing
Post-bloom, refrain from fertilizing your daffodils, suggests Hampson. "There's no need to top up the bulb's nutrients as it'll remain dormant for months," he explains. Instead, begin fertilization when visible green leaves start appearing in the spring. Choose low-nitrogen fertilizers, such as a 5-10-10, according to Hampson, since the phosphorous and potassium elements help strengthen the bulb during its active growing stage.
6. Divide Overcrowded Bulbs
Hampson advises dividing daffodil bulbs every 3 to 4 years, or when you notice fewer blooms, smaller blooms, or bulbs contending with one another for space in the soil. In such situations, dig up the bulbs, separate them, refresh the soil with some compost, and replant a few in the same place and the rest elsewhere. "When you divide them," Hampson says, "you can spread them out a bit, or move them to another location, or share them with friends."
For those residing in a hot, humid area, choose daffodil varieties like jonquils and tazettas (Narcissus tazetta) that are more heat and humidity tolerant.
Some daffodil varieties reproduce quicker than others, so they may need to be divided more frequently.
- Steve Hampson suggests to chop off faded daffodil flowers and seed pods to prevent draining the plant's energy and lessen its bloom for the next year.
- Leaving daffodil leaves alone is essential for post-bloom care, as they act like solar panels, producing food for the bulb through photosynthesis.
- Give daffodils about an inch of water per week during the growing season, from fall when the roots are forming through spring when they blossom.
