The daffodil bloom is a gorgeous one, and it treats many gardeners to a beautiful sight as spring approaches. For many, it’s a bright gift as their garden begins to turn yellow with all the flowers. Daffodils begin to flower as winter recedes, and will continue to do so until the first few weeks of spring.
A carefully chosen selection of daffodils could be just what you need to keep your garden in beautiful condition throughout the course of spring and into the early summer. One of the things that you should know about the daffodil is the fact that the bulbs actually serve a pretty important purpose.
The plant wears a layer of dried skin, which serves as protection, and helps ensure that the bulbs remain moist and properly insulated. There’s also another important function that it serves.
Not only does this layer serve as an anchor for this year’s plant, but it also carries the embryo for the plant or flower that’s going to bloom the following year.
More importantly, it also carries a considerable amount of nutritious material, enough to ensure that the plant maintains its health until the next spring.
Because of the insulation provided by the bulb, it is also capable of protecting the plant from any drought, heat, or major changes in the weather.
The true beauty in all this is the fact that the bulb never stops growing. It continues to develop new layers, and also continues to store nutrients virtually throughout the year.
This is important because it helps ensure that the flower and the embryo inside is well-prepared and protected for what may come during the spring months. If the conditions are just right, the flower may bloom during the last weeks when the snow begins to melt.
The Importance of Providing the Right Conditions
Like all other flowers, the daffodil also needs just the right conditions to bloom properly. These conditions also determine when the flower actually blooms.
You need to understand that different kinds of daffodils follow their own rhythms. The growth primarily depends on the temperature of the soil as well as the amount of daylight that the plant receives.
The daffodil plant generally thrives when the temperatures in the soil are between 50 and 60 degrees F. As the sun begins to spend more time in the sky and the days begin to lengthen, the plant starts to really grow quickly.
The progression primarily varies depending on the passing of the year and the changing climate. Therefore, you need to understand that the bloom times are going to vary. Certain varieties may bloom during specific periods of time.
For instance, the early varieties, such as the February Gold, the Ice Follies, and the Tete-a-Tete will begin to bloom as winter fades away and the early signs of spring begin to appear.
In slightly warmer zones in the South, some varieties of the daffodil are going to bloom as early as February. In the northern regions, you might have to wait until March for the bloom.
Then, there are the midseason varieties. These begin to bloom in March in the southern regions, and in the northern regions, they will usually bloom during the month of April. Common examples of daffodil varieties that bloom during the midseason include the Jack Snipe and the Trevithian.
Finally, you have the late season varieties, which include the Salome. These may bloom as late as mid-May in the northern regions, and a bit earlier in the southern regions.
Understanding Chilling
One of the things that you might not know about the daffodil is that the plant uses the chill provided by the winter months to keep its bloom times in check.
Depending on the kind of daffodil that you have planted, it’s going to require anywhere between 35 and 48 degrees F of temperature to maintain its bloom times.
This isn’t a problem when you plant bulbs during the fall season. In certain southern regions, gardeners usually dig further into the ground and dry the bulbs appropriately. This is important for bulbs that have longer chilling requirements.
Once the foliage dies in the summer months, you might want to consider keeping them in a cool storage area for at least three to four months.
This is very important before you decide to replant the daffodils as it’s going to ensure that the plant blooms on time. However, if you live in a slightly warmer area, you don’t need to worry about any kind of problem, and don’t even have to wait for such a long period of time before you decide to replant the daffodils.
One of the best things that you should know about the daffodil plant is that it is a perennial, and a very reliable one too. But, you need to make sure that you separate the bulbs after at least two to three years to ensure that the plant maintains its healthy appearance.
Nutrients and Care
As a gardener, you will also have to spend some time caring for the plant if you want the daffodils to bloom on time. For instance, you will want to make sure that you add a low nitrogen fertilizer that is high in potassium to the plants once they have flowered.
This is important if the bulbs are not performing as you want them to. Certain varieties, as we have discussed, tend to flower later in the season. You will want to make sure that you water them on a regular basis, and do not ignore them if you want the plant to grow in a healthy manner.
Also, to ensure that the plant remains on track for next year’s bloom, you need to deadhead the flowers on a regular basis. When the daffodils bloom and the flowers begin to die, you need to properly pinch and remove them.
Make sure you get rid of the flowers on time after their death so that the plant doesn’t spend any time or energy to support the dying flowers.
The nutrients that are used for supporting the dying flowers are actually quite important and will play a critical role in developing the embryo and the flowers for next season. If you do not carry out deadheading and remove the dying flowers, it’s only going to affect the bloom next season.
Another important thing that you need to do is let the foliage remain once the flowers have bloomed for at least six weeks. This foliage is going to play an important role for the photosynthesis and the food that is produced by the plant is going to help you improve the quality of the blooms.
If you also want to improve the quality of the bloom, you should also consider adding a bit of bone meal soil into the mix. It’s recommended that you take care of the plant properly and make sure that you provide it with all of the nutrients that it requires.
This is going to greatly improve the blooms and also ensure that the plant blooms much earlier than you would expect. These are just some of the main things that you should know about caring for daffodils.
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.