I've had the same situation. You just have to dig the clumps in the summer
after the foliage has died (at least turned totally yellow) and THIN the
bulbs. When the clumps are crowded, most of the bulbs don't get big enough
to produce a flower. Thin them and you will get flowers again. Just be
aware that the small bulbs will need another season of growth to get enough
size to bloom again, so don't be surprised if they don't bloom the spring
after you thinned them. The biggest bulbs in the clump have the most chance
to bloom the next spring.
----------
divide them and give good shot of compost
Sydney Carpenter wrote:
I've never grown daffodils before, but in the garden of the house we bought
last September there are numerous groupings of this lovely spring flower.
I'm learning as we go along. Here is what I know so far --
The previous owner warned me that the daffodils "wouldn't amount to much"
because our climate is too warm (central Virginia, zone 7). A bit of
reading revealed that hardy bulbs need a certain amount of coldness during
the winter to flower in the spring. What that temperature is, and for how
long, I haven't figured out yet. It barely got below 20 degrees here this
past winter, and then only for a few days at a time. The daffodils are
flowering and they look nice to me; whether there should be more blooms in
each clump I really can't say. I have a vague memory of the owner also
mentioning that there are varieties of daffodils bred especially for
southern climates, but I haven't pursued this matter yet. So maybe your
daffodils are the wrong variety for your climate.
Now some info culled from Rodale's Encyc. of OG and from Taylor's Guide to
Bulbs -- plant 1.5 times as deep as the depth of the bulb itself, always
planting deeper in case of doubt. Shallow planting causes bulbs to split up
quickly into many small NONFLOWERING offsets. Both sources talk about
leaving bulbs in place about 4 or 5 years; then they must be divided because
they produce very small flowers or NONE AT ALL. So these are two more
possible reasons your bulbs are not flowering.
We, too, are finding daffodils scattered around the yard. None of my
reference books mention how they get around the way they do. We just
assumed the previous owner had indulged a whim.
Now I have a question for the group. Quite a few of the flower stalks are
bent. Is this normal? I know the flowers are supposed to "nod" but bending
is another matter! I "rescue" these bent stalks by cutting them for an
indoor bouquet. Staking daffodils seems unthinkable. Obviously the stalks
are not strong enough to support the flowers. Is this a defect of modern
breeding? Or are the plants lacking in nutrition, a defect that would be
cured by dressing with compost? I believe the previous owner used chemical
fertilizers throughout the garden -- so perhaps the daffodils are suffering
from overstimulation which, once again, would be cured by dressing with
compost at a later date.
Pat
Date: Saturday, March 27, 1999 6:57 PM
Subject: Old Daffodils
> What can you do to make old Daffodils (in the ground for years) bloom
again? I have a square area in my St. Augustine yard that comes up in
Daffodils every spring but they never bloom. I'd like to remove them from
the middle of my lawn and I would gladly replant them in a better area if I
thought they would bloom again.
> I've also found individual Daffodils scattered out in the yard on the other
side of the house. Some bloom some don't. Any idea how they became scattered
about like that? I've seen them do this in other old home sites and in
cemetaries. How do they move away from where they are originally planted?
Reply from Kris Johnson to #99.6058423 From Sydney@1STARNET.COM(Sydney Carpenter
> What can you do to make old Daffodils (in the ground for years) bloom again? I have a square area in my St. Augustine yard that comes up in Daffodils every spring but they never bloom. I'd like to remove them from the middle of my lawn and I would gladly replant them in a better area if I thought they would bloom again.
Sydney,
I had some daffodils that quit blooming when they became too crowded, so I dug them up, and if I remember correctly I tried replanting some of the biggest bulbs and they started flowering again after a couple years of rejuvenation in their new spot. A lawn is a hard spot for daffodils unless you don't mow. If your dafs never bloomed they may not be very good stock.
> I've also found individual Daffodils scattered out in the yard on the other side of the house. Some bloom some don't. Any idea how they became scattered about like that? I've seen them do this in other old home sites and in cemetaries. How do they move away from where they are originally planted?
I have found that daffodils will seed themselves if you don't deadhead them. That could explain how they show up in new places. And those seedlings may not be good bloomers.
Kris
What can you do to make old Daffodils (in the ground for years) bloom aga=
in? I have a square area in my St. Augustine yard that comes up in Daffod=
ils every spring but they never bloom. I'd like to remove them from the =
middle of my lawn and I would gladly replant them in a better area if I =
thought they would bloom again.
I've also found individual Daffodils scattered out in the yard on the oth=
er side of the house. Some bloom some don't. Any idea how they became sca=
ttered about like that? I've seen them do this in other old home sites =
and in cemetaries. How do they move away from where they are originally =
planted?
Sydney (a beginner gardener in zone 7)
In a message dated 3/27/99 9:44:56 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
lonrom@HEVANET.COM writes:
<< >I've also found individual Daffodils scattered out in the yard on the
other
> side of the house. Some bloom some don't. Any idea how they became
> scattered about like that? I've seen them do this in other old home sites
> and in cemetaries. How do they move away from where they are originally
planted? >>
I wondered this myself last year when hyacinths appeared everywhere. Then I
saw a squirrel digging in the front lawn one day and I figured he was planting
bulbs.
Fran
Regarding the cold weather for daffodils--not so. They grow and bloom fine here
in Dallas, zone 8, and we rarely have more than a couple of days below 30 F. The
need for a certain amount of cold weather is true for tulips (they don't return
here) and some other bulbs, though. I don't know about special breeds of
daffodils for the south. We bought an old house and have many different
varieties that were probably originally planted somewhere between 30-45 years
ago. I doubt they are special hybrids.
I'd say your problem is that they are in a lawn. Unless the previous owner
didn't mow it until the daffodil leaves died back naturally in the spring, they
didn't have time to store nurioushment for the blooms this year.
Unless you can wait to mow (my lawn would be a foot high if I did that!), I'd
take everyone's advice and dig up and divide them, but I'd move them to an area
that doesn't have to be mowed. BTW, mine do fine under deciduous trees. I've
moved mine after flower but before the leaves die back without a problem. It may
not be the best time, but it sure makes it easier to find them.
Regarding the bent stems, mine do that when we have a heavy rain, or even
not-so-heavy rain.
Ruth
Patricia Ruggiero wrote:
I bought daffodils in February at a penny each. They are
beginning to bloom now. Same for the hyacinths I bought.
Pretty little things. Wish I had bought more hyacinths. We had
such warm weather in February that we reached 80' a couple of
days. I've never had the daffodils flinch.
Date: Monday, March 29, 1999 11:19 PM
Subject: Re: Old Daffodils
> Regarding the cold weather for daffodils--not so. They grow
and bloom fine here
> in Dallas, zone 8, and we rarely have more than a couple of
days below 30 F. The
> need for a certain amount of cold weather is true for tulips
(they don't return
> here) and some other bulbs, though. I don't know about special
breeds of
> daffodils for the south. We bought an old house and have many
different
> varieties that were probably originally planted somewhere
between 30-45 years
> ago. I doubt they are special hybrids.
> I'd say your problem is that they are in a lawn. Unless the
previous owner
> didn't mow it until the daffodil leaves died back naturally in
the spring, they
> didn't have time to store nurioushment for the blooms this
year.
> Unless you can wait to mow (my lawn would be a foot high if I
did that!), I'd
> take everyone's advice and dig up and divide them, but I'd
move them to an area
> that doesn't have to be mowed. BTW, mine do fine under
deciduous trees. I've
> moved mine after flower but before the leaves die back without
a problem. It may
> not be the best time, but it sure makes it easier to find
them.
> Regarding the bent stems, mine do that when we have a heavy
rain, or even
amount to much"
> because our climate is too warm (central Virginia, zone 7).
A bit of
> reading revealed that hardy bulbs need a certain amount of
coldness during
> the winter to flower in the spring. What that temperature i
s, and for how
> long, I haven't figured out yet. It barely got below 20
degrees here this
> past winter, and then only for a few days at a time.
> I have a vague memory of the owner also
> mentioning that there are varieties of daffodils bred
especially for
> southern climates, but I haven't pursued this matter yet.
So maybe your
> daffodils are the wrong variety for your climate.
> Now I have a question for the group. Quite a few of the
flower stalks are
> bent. Is this normal? I know the flowers are supposed to
"nod" but bending
