When to Plant Daffodils

Bluebird gardens on the north side of the house. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

“Charlotte loved the walk through your garden and now I want to add daffodils to mine. Where do I get them and when do I plant them? Thanks for the inspiration.” — Denise

When to Plant Daffodils

Hi Denise, I think it’s easy to fall in love with daffodils. They are easy to plant; deer-resistent, and multiply year to year if planted in the right conditions. They also make lovely cut flowers, which I appreciate, and are a spring food source for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

First, get to know the different types of daffodils. The American Daffodil Society has an excellent guide on their website starting with frequently-asked questions.

Secondly, if there is a botanical garden close to where you live, pay it a visit. The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis usually has an excellent daffodil display with name tags so you can get the name of varieties you like.

Usually in April, daffodil companies will start to take orders for fall bulb delivery. Wait for their sales to get their best deals. I like K.van Bourgondien for their sale bundles since I scatter my bulbs through my garden. Sometimes your local master gardeners and gardening clubs will have bulbs for sale at their spring sales around Mother’s Day (May)

Although you order and pay for them in spring, you don’t get them delivered until fall. Fall is when bulbs should be planted, usually 4 weeks before the first hard frost. Daffodils need 8-12 weeks of cold weather to “set” the bulb for spring blooming. I have planted them later in the season but they didn’t bloom until the second year.

When browsing for bulb varieties, make sure to include at least one scented one. Those are wonderful for cut flowers and bring spring inside.

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Charlotte

Planting Visiting Daffodil Bulbs

Some of the 70 lbs of daffodil bulbs vacationing in Missouri from my brother's Virginia garden.

Visiting Daffodil Bulbs

"So.... do you just store the bulbs for now or plant them????" -- Vicki

Hi Vicki,

I plant them now! I can't wait until next year, the daffodil bulbs are already starting to grow, which means they are using the energy stored in the bulbs. If I wait, they will grow and die because they can't repurpose soil nutrients into stored food without being in soil.

As long as the soil isn't frozen, those of us who live in USDA Hardiness zone 5b can continue to plant, if we don't mind being out in cold weather. Bulbs, shrubs, trees can all be settled in this time of year.

You can also move some perennials but I prefer to wait until spring, or when they are just starting to grow to do that in most cases. I don't always remember what I planted in a spot. Chances are good if I dig someplace, the spot is already occupied.

Some of the daffodils cut out of my garden last year, love their sunny disposition!

Love for the sunny daffodils runs in our family, I have a hillside full of them. One of my neighbors used to call my garden "daffodil land." I have them scattered in places where they can expand on their own - it's called naturalizing - and they aren't missed when I sneak out to pick a few!

For my brother's daffodil bulbs, I have them in a large flower bed planted in rows so they can easily be dug up later. I also have some at the corner of a path I can see from my living room window so I can enjoy them when they finally bloom.

It could be a couple of years before the bulbs have enough energy but that's okay, they are worth the wait. I have some yellow roses that can add a splash of sunshine in the garden in the meantime.

Do you have daffodils in your garden?

Charlotte