Almost forgot I wanted to ask the list about this today. I was at a
gathering of friends Sunday, when a woman I know told me of a great new
way to deadhead daffodils. Apparently her husband took his weekwacker
and cut the top inch or so off all the daffodils to deadhead them for
her. She thought this was great. I was privately horrified at the
thought of all the damage he inflicted on the plants, but just said
something like to the effect that it might be hard on the daffodils. I
found out later from my DH, that the husband proudly recounted his great
idea to DH, while the wife was telling me. Even DH didn't think that was
such a good idea. My question is: How much damage do you think this
really did to her daffodils? Would giving them a good side-dressing of
bulb food mitigate the damage?
I am going to get a look at them tomorrow morning and I was hoping for
some advice I could pass on. She says they still look nice & green &
tall. I'm wondering if the bulb is using up all it's energy trying to
recover? Any suggestions beside the fact that they shouldn't do this
again?
Karen in Pittsburgh, PA (zone 5b/6)
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I have accidentally weed whacked them and they didn't seem to mind all that
much. So I guess it is not a sinful thing to do. Actually, I am not so
horrified at snipping off just the tips, they'll probably be fine as long as
they were not uprooted or damaged at the base where they connect to the bulb
by being pulled on somehow. But I also don't think they need to worry so
much about deadheading them. I would suggest letting them go to seed and
increase that way, in addition to multiplying at the bulb level. It's less
work. I *always* opt for the less work method. LOL
I have never considered deadheading daffodils such an onorous chore that I
would seek out an easier faster way to do it. It is a pleasant task and a
great excuse to wander ambiably about and listen to the the birds and notice
the violets and just generally be peaceful and all the while have a valid
excuse to ramble. oh well
Barbara M. Martin
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I have easily 300 daffodils at home that I deadhead by hand. Sometimes
it gives me a sore back doing too many at once (like I did when I came
home Friday and saw them all), but Tanya's DH is a 'time is money' guy
who is always looking for a fast way to do stuff. He didn't like the
look of the dead flowers; thought it was unsightly. But Tanya would
rather have big flowers next year rather than letting them multiply. I'm
the same way on that one, even though I'm usually not here to see them.
(smile) I'm glad to hear that you think it's not a major deal, that he
weedwacked them. I was horrified, but maybe it doesn't look as bad as it
sounded.
Karen in Pittsburgh, PA (zone 5b/6)
On Mon, 29 Apr 2002 16:45:03 -0400 Barbara Martin
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If they weedwhacked them off short by cutting at the base near the bulb,
that would be different. I just don't think an inch or two off the top will
really make all that much difference. An exception could be if the plants
are only marginal to begin with and really need every ounce of strength to
keep on going.... it sounds awful but some plants are pretty tough.
Barbara M. Martin
Current Mid-Atlantic Garden Report: "Those Little Ups and Downs"
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Now at Cottage Garden: "Voyeurs On Tour"
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Co-Owner, Gardens List http://www.kiva.net/~dorsettm/notes.html
Karen,
I'm with Barbara. Can't imagine whacking off the top inch of the
flower stem would hurt the plants one bit, as long as the cut was
fairly clean. If he shredded the top of the flower stem, that's
not so good as it leaves a door open for pathogens. Whacking off the
foliage before it has matured is another story.
Personally, I do not deadhead daffs; have hundreds and no time to do
this...mine bloom just fine every year and naturalize, which is what
I want them to do. If I were growing show daffs, then I would
probably dead head unless I wanted seed, but for daffs growing in the
garden, IMO, deadheading is a lot of work for nothing. They will
bloom fine until they get too crowded when they need to be lifted and
separated. The dying foliage looks a whole lot worse than spent
flower heads and one has to live with that if one wants to grow
bulbs. But, too each his/her own:-)
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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> From: Karen Barker
> Almost forgot I wanted to ask the list about this today. I was at
a
> gathering of friends Sunday, when a woman I know told me of a great
new
> way to deadhead daffodils. Apparently her husband took his
weekwacker
> and cut the top inch or so off all the daffodils to deadhead them
for
> her. She thought this was great. I was privately horrified at the
> thought of all the damage he inflicted on the plants, but just said
> something like to the effect that it might be hard on the
daffodils. I
> found out later from my DH, that the husband proudly recounted his
great
> idea to DH, while the wife was telling me. Even DH didn't think
that was
> such a good idea. My question is: How much damage do you think
this
> really did to her daffodils? Would giving them a good
side-dressing of
> bulb food mitigate the damage?
> I am going to get a look at them tomorrow morning and I was hoping
for
> some advice I could pass on. She says they still look nice & green
&
> tall. I'm wondering if the bulb is using up all it's energy trying
to
> recover? Any suggestions beside the fact that they shouldn't do
this
Thanks for your input. I'll get to see how they look tomorrow. Even
though I like using a weedwacker on dead stuff, I still would never do
this to my daffodils. And in my poor soil, daffodils need all the help
they can get, which is why I deadhead. Daffodils do not seem to
naturalize easily in my hillside yard and I don't always get around to
feeding them. Oh, for some nice rich loamy soil (and some flat land).
Karen in Pittsburgh, PA (zone 5b/6)
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Karen,
I have them naturalizing in pure awful MD clay with ivy as a
groundcover under trees:-) They even show up occasionally in the
gravel drive. Have never fed any of mine...well, the ones in the
borders do get some compost occasionally, but the ones I'm
naturalizing get only Ma's leaf fall. Daffs are generally tough
guys if you buy the more common ones, not the rare or show varieties.
You need to let them go to seed to get them to naturalize for you.
On a hill, I'd think they would start showing up downhill from your
main plantings...takes a few years to start seeing babies.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
-----------------------------------------------
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----------
> From: Karen Barker
> Thanks for your input. I'll get to see how they look tomorrow.
Even
> though I like using a weedwacker on dead stuff, I still would never
do
> this to my daffodils. And in my poor soil, daffodils need all the
help
> they can get, which is why I deadhead. Daffodils do not seem to
> naturalize easily in my hillside yard and I don't always get around
to
> feeding them. Oh, for some nice rich loamy soil (and some flat
land).
