Bulb
Daffodil
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in February | Flowers in March | Flowers in April | Flowers in May | ||||||||
| Plant | Plant in August | Plant in September | Plant in October | |||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in February | Looks good in March | Looks good in April |
Overview
Daffodils are the most reliable spring bulb you can grow in Britain and Ireland: squirrels leave them alone, they cope with heavy soil and most come back for decades. Choose by size and season. 'February Gold' and 'Tête-à-Tête' open first and suit pots and windy gardens, 'Thalia' is a graceful white, 'Pheasant's Eye' flowers late with a sweet scent, and the native wild daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus, is ideal for naturalising in grass.
Where to grow daffodil
Sun or light shade both work, as long as the ground does not sit waterlogged. Plant in borders between perennials that will hide the fading leaves, in grass you can leave uncut until early summer, or in containers by the door.
Planting
Get bulbs in from late August to early October; daffodils start rooting earlier than tulips. Plant them roughly three times their own depth, usually 10–15cm, pointed end up, in groups of at least seven. On clay, a handful of grit under each bulb helps.
Care through the year
Spring
Snap off spent flower heads so energy goes into the bulb rather than seed. Feed with a high-potash fertiliser as flowers fade.
Summer
Wait at least six weeks after flowering before cutting foliage. Never knot or tie the leaves.
Autumn
Plant new bulbs early. Top-dress pots with fresh compost.
Winter
Little to do. Check pots are not waterlogged and raise them on feet.
Pruning
Deadheading is the only trimming needed. Remove old leaves once they have yellowed and pull away easily.
Propagation
Bulbs multiply by forming offsets. Lift congested clumps when the foliage dies back in early summer, separate the bulbs and replant at once, or store them dry until late summer.
Common problems
'Daffodil blindness', with leaves but no flowers, usually means clumps are overcrowded, planted too shallow or had their leaves cut too soon. Narcissus bulb fly larvae hollow out bulbs in sunny spots; firm the soil around necks as leaves die back. Basal rot shows as soft brown bulbs; discard them. Sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves when cutting lots of stems.
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in August, September and October. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.