The bright yellow daffodil is one of the most popular flowers that is grown all over the world. It’s incredibly beautiful, easy to grow and care for, and best of all, the flowers are incredibly distinctive.
The daffodil bloom is considered by many as the first clear sign of the arrival of spring, but you need to make sure that you care for them.
Daffodils require a considerable amount of care both before and after bloom, and you need to make sure that you take the right steps to ensure that the plant is in the right condition to bloom again.
Despite the fact that daffodils are incredibly easy to get along with and care for, you will have to take a few steps to ensure that the plant is in the right condition for next year’s bloom.
Many people are particularly neat about their garden, and don’t like the fact that the strands are left all over the garden. Once the blooms fade, the plant needs to be thoroughly cleaned to make sure that the garden is neat and clean.
You will also have to fight the urge to lop off all the strands quickly to ensure that the plant has a high chance of blooming next year.
Now, if you are wondering about what to do with the daffodils once they have bloomed, here are some key things you should keep in mind.
Dealing with the Flowers
Dying daffodils are certainly not a pretty sight, and you will want to take appropriate steps to ensure that it doesn’t affect the aesthetic appeal of your garden.
The shape of the flower is going to collapse, much like a soggy tissue paper, and the flower itself will start to turn brown. With the passage of time, the whole thing is going to slide off of the stem and will just leave a rounded bulb at the bottom.
This rounded bulb is going to eventually turn into a seed pod if the flower was fertilized. But, the effect doesn’t just stop there. The stem will begin to turn yellow as well, and will develop a mushy appearance, starting from the top down.
Once the flowers fade, you have the option of clipping them as well as the stem right afterward.
If you want to make a bouquet, you can even cut down the daffodils while they are in bloom from the stem and put them together. It’s a really pretty sight, because the lush yellow flowers look incredibly beautiful.
Deadheading is an integral part of daffodil care post bloom, and it’s going to bring the plant to its original condition.
More importantly, it’s going to make the plant ready for its bloom next year. When you deadhead the flowers, the plant will become stronger because energy won’t be expended in forming the seeds.
When you cut the daffodils during the blooming season, you might even increase the length of time that the bulbs bloom by up to easily two weeks.
So, if you want better looking flowers next year, you should consider deadheading them on time. Most people just leave their daffodils alone after the bloom, and that’s not a good thing to do.
Foliage
Once you are done caring for the flowers after the bloom, the next step is to look after the foliage.
After the bloom ends, you should leave the foliage, and all the bulbs should be left in the same condition for about six weeks. This is important because the plant needs to manufacture food, and it can only do so using the process of photosynthesis.
This is needed because the plant has to replenish all of the energy that is spent on the blooming. Impatient gardeners are often too quick to tie back, braid, or even remove the foliage that they know shouldn’t be cut, but you should know that it only impedes the process of photosynthesis and prevents the plant from properly replenishing its food stores for next year’s blooming.
According to professionals, you should only consider cutting the foliage once it starts to turn yellow. When the color begins to change, the plant is simply giving you an indication that the work of the foliage is completed and the bulbs have been prepared for the following year.
If you have serious problems with the foliage and don’t want to look at it, you should consider adding some perennial plants into the mix. This is going to help you make sure that the aesthetic appearance of your plant isn’t affected.
What About Potted Daffodils?
As long as you provide the proper amount of care after the bloom, your daffodils can easily bloom for years to come in potted containers without any problem.
Just like daffodils that are planted in soil, you should know that these ones are also going to require at least six weeks of natural sunlight. More importantly, you will want to provide a light amount of nitrogen to the plant as well.
This is necessary to help the plant build its stores for next season.
Caring for daffodils once they have flowered is of the utmost importance and is going to significantly improve the aesthetic appeal of your plants. Not only that, but it’s also going to provide better blooms for the following year.
As a gardener, you should know that the key is to remain patient with the daffodils. Instead of quickly cleaning up the flowers and the foliage after the plant has bloomed, you should give it a little while and wait it out.
This is necessary for the plant as we have discussed and can also lead to significant improvements over the course of the next year. You have to be careful about how you deal with the plant, as that’s going to help improve its health as well.
These are just a few things that you should keep in mind about what to do with the daffodil after it has flowered.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.
Sue Castelyn
Saturday 9th of October 2021
Good lesson on daffodils. Thank you.