Daffodils planting and care: features of cultivation and agricultural technology

Daffodils are the first to bloom - that's why they got their name "flowers of spring". Their beauty is short-lived, just a couple of weeks. Daffodils are not capricious, but the landing will have to be done on time, and the care should be organized correctly. Even in harsh climates, they are well adapted. Do everything right, and large, beautiful flowers will bloom in your area in the spring.

When is the best time to plant daffodils - spring or fall?

In what month to plant daffodils depends on the climatic conditions of the area in which you live. In autumn, the bulbs are immediately planted in the ground. In the spring - two months before planting, they will have to be placed in the refrigerator.

What is the benefit of planting in autumn?

Narcissus is a bulbous crop. And it is often planted in the ground in the fall. A good root system, which the bulbs have time to build up, is a guarantee of the problems of the winter experienced, and the formed buds are a guarantee of strong strong flower stalks released with the first warm days.

It can be September, less often - the beginning of October. It is important that the temperature in the soil lasts for two weeks at around 8-10 ° C. And then feel free to plant daffodil bulbs. In 3-4 weeks they will take root, and frosts will no longer be dangerous for them.

Planting earlier than this period is fraught with unpleasant consequences - in insufficiently cooled ground, the plant will sprout, which is very untimely and fatal. Plant later - it will be difficult for the daffodil to overwinter due to the insufficient number of extended roots.

Disadvantages of planting daffodils in spring

You can, of course, plant flowers in open ground in the spring. You should wait until the soil warms up to a temperature of +5 … +7 ℃. But you run the risk of being left without flowers. The plant simply does not have time to bloom, as all forces are thrown into rooting.

Delivery dates in different regions of Russia

You may not be on schedule. It's already October-November outside. You can take a chance and still plant daffodil bulbs in the ground. But for this you must live in the southernmost Russian regions and take into account the maximum soil temperature at which planting is possible.

The plant will not be able to adapt and take root in the ground. And you risk being left without flowers in the spring.

Middle Band

The optimal time for planting bulbs in the gardens of the regions of Central Russia is the first days of September.

In the Moscow region and the Leningrad region

second decade of August.

In the Urals, in Siberia

But in the Ural and Siberian regions it is better to start earlier. Depending on the weather, the right time may come either at the end of summer or in September. Although such terms are typical, rather, for Siberia.

In the Urals, with warm autumn, daffodils are planted in dachas at the same time as in Central Russia. The weather forecast will tell you the best time.

How to store daffodils until planting in the fall

In a faded plant, you need to carefully cut the buds, wait for the yellow leaves and dig out the bulbs. If you use a garden fork for this purpose, do not damage the material. In reality, this happens 50-60 days after flowering.

Clean the dug-out bulbs from old layers, roots and soil. It is recommended to treat them with an antiseptic (usually a solution of manganese). Be sure to dry them at +22 … +24 ° C (this will take up to three weeks). Only after all these manipulations are you sent for storage in a cool room with ventilation.

Storage conditions:

+10 ˚С - air temperature;
up to 70% humidity.

An important condition: Narcissus bulbs selected for storage must be he althy. This is the only way to grow strong, he althy flowers.

How to plant daffodils

An experienced gardener knows that in one place the daffodil fully pleases with its lush flowering for four years. Then his buds begin to shrink. And this means that it's time to change the place and transplant these wonderful flowers to another site.You shouldn't do this more often. Frequent digging is an extra risk of injury to the plant. So, and excessive susceptibility to diseases and pests. And this process should not be delayed for a long time either. The plant is degenerating.

Planting daffodils requires a certain technology. This includes soil prepared in advance, dug holes of the right size, proper flower fertilizer.

But the first thing a gardener should do is to inspect the planting material and select he althy bulbs.

Choosing a seat

This is a very important factor, and choosing a suitable landing site is half the battle. Daffodils love partial shade. So they burn out less. They fit flat areas, without drafts. But gusty winds will not prolong their life.

These flowers could use company, but too much greenery around is undesirable. They are adversely affected by the shadow - they are not able to grow normally, and their aroma is not particularly saturated, and they cannot boast of size.

There is one more circumstance that will have to be taken into account when choosing a place for flowers - the level of groundwater. It should be no higher than 60 centimeters. Otherwise, you risk rotting the root system.

Preparing the land

Daffodils do not require a special type of soil. Will grow in any. But in order for them to develop fully, they need fertile humus loams. There are none, it is enough to fertilize the land with compost or humus. If the land on the site is sandy, it is worth adding a clay substrate to it, mixed in equal proportions with peat. It is necessary to dig up the bed 3-4 weeks before planting. Digging depth - up to 40 centimeters.

It is important to know that daffodils cannot tolerate manure. Do without it.

Soil fertilization

Even in summer, it is recommended to dig up a plot for flowers and fertilize with compost at the rate of 4 kilograms per 1 square meter. In addition, 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and 1 tablespoon of Agricola should be added. Now dig again and leave it like this until autumn.

How deep to plant daffodils

The planting depth of these flowers depends on the size of the bulbs and the composition of the soil. It is equal to three times the height of the onion and varies between 10-25 centimeters.

Preparing bulbs for planting

One diseased bulb is enough to infect he althy specimens and soil and bring pests into it. Therefore, a week before landing, they should be sorted out and discarded all unhe althy specimens - those that are damaged, rotten or infected.

A he althy bulb should have dry scales, golden or brown. To the touch, each should be dense, with a smooth dry bottom, whole, without any stains, raids and mold.

From the bulbs that you selected, you need to remove the cracked scales. They separate easily. You may only need to get rid of a couple of top layers.

Planting daffodils

You will have to stick to a specific landing pattern:

water prepared holes;
pour sifted river sand on the bottom;
lay out the bulbs bottoms down, slightly pressing into the ground;
sprinkle each first with ashes, then with earth.

Do not forget to cover the soil with a protective layer. So you can protect it from the winter cold. For this, peat or humus is suitable. Enough thickness of 5 centimeters. If you cover with leaves, the layer should be thick, at least twenty centimeters. You will clean them up in the spring.

How far apart to plant the bulbs

Small-flowered varieties are planted every 6-10 centimeters, in groups or paths.

Large specimens - at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from one another, usually one flower, but also in groups.

Caring for daffodils after planting

In order for your daffodils to grow well and bloom profusely, they should be given good proper care: feed, water, weed and loosen.

Feeding. There should be 4 of them during the season. The first three are nitrophoska for flowers - first in the spring, while they germinate, then - at the time the buds appear and the third time - at the time of flowering. And after it, you need to feed the flower for the last, fourth time, using phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
Water. These flowers require a lot of moisture. And you will have to water even a couple of weeks after they have faded. Be sure to do this during top dressing so as not to burn the roots.
Fade buds must be removed.

Reproduction of daffodils

You can propagate this flower yourself. It is enough to make small cuts at the bottom of the bulb and wait until new bulbs appear in the cuts. After some time, they will become good planting material.

In the last days of summer, you separate the bulb - two scales should be strengthened on one bottom. Pack in a bag with perlite and store it that way. In this form, and planted in the ground.

Many people love to grow daffodils. They are like a symbol of the coming spring. Over 12 thousand varieties to choose from. Some people prefer flowers on the windowsill, but there is nothing like a blooming flower bed right under your window. Even an inexperienced amateur can do this. Daffodils have long adapted to the Russian climate and freely winter in open ground.

If you follow our recommendations, every spring daffodils will delight you with magnificent blooms.