Planting Daffodil Bulbs

By now, I hope you've purchased a few new daffodil bulbs to plant in your garden. Fall is the ideal time to plant, and you can plant anytime the ground cools off until it freezes in early winter. Since we've had some rain here in Ohio, I've begun planting back the bulbs I dug earlier. I'll wait to plant the new bulbs until all those I've ordered have arrived.

Planting daffodil bulbs doesn't require a rocket scientist. It may be the easiest garden chore around. "Dig a hole and drop it in." That about covers it. Keep the pointy end up, and if rain isn't in your weather forecast, water in well.

Of course, the better preparation you give the soil you're planting your bulbs in, the better results you'll have. If you're planting in a completely new garden bed, I hope you've already prepared the soil so that it had a chance to settle a little. Some people say you should double-dig the beds prior to planting. OK, I lied, it CAN be pretty labor-intensive. But I just dig down about a spade's depth, which is probably close to six inches deep. Daffodils aren't big feeders, so you can work a little-maybe a teaspoonful or so-low-nitrogen fertilizer UNDER the bulbs. Something like 5-10-10, or 3-6-6. Don't place the bulb directly on the fertilizer. Or you can just broadcast the fertilizer over the top of the bulbs AFTER you've covered them with soil. This works particularly well if you're planting between perennials. Broadcasting fertilizer over the bulbs also fertilizes your perennials.

Some do's and don'ts:

Do buy your bulbs while stores still have a good selection. For special bulbs, consider ordering directly from the hybridizers. (See the ADS website, http://www.daffodilusa.org for a list of growers.)

Do pay attention to the height the bulbs will reach. Remember there are miniatures like 'Tete-a-Tete' which should go to the front of the garden.

Do pay attention to the colors of the flowers so you have pleasing color combinations when they bloom.

Do plant the bulbs about three times the height of the bulb. For most bulbs, that will be about 6" deep. Miniatures should be planted about 3" deep.

Do label your bulbs or make a map of your planting in case you want to exhibit in the local flower show, or order more of a bulb you particularly like.

Do plant 3 or 5 of a cultivar to make a nice showing the first year. Plant 3 in a triangle, 6" apart; plant 5 like the 5 on a domino. Do consider interplanting with daylilies in sun, or Hostas or Helleborus in shade. The requirements for both plants are similar. Hostas work well, but deer like them. They also like daylily buds. It seems that the deer don't bother Pulmonarias, so I'll be planting more of them.

Do mulch after planting. Pine bark is good. This helps keep down weeds, keeps the soil warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

Don't ever plant a soft bulb. A soft bulb indicates rot or possibly the presence of a grub of the narcissus fly inside.

Don't forcibly remove the side bulbs. If you can see space between the bulb and an offset and they're attached only at the base, it's ok to carefully break it apart at the basal plate.

Don't plant where water stands after a rain.

Don't plant in the shade of evergreen trees, though the shade of deciduous trees is fine.

Don't plant bulbs in a line like a row of soldiers unless you're planting in a cutting garden. Daffodils are informal plants.

Don't plant a "naturalizing mixture." They may not bloom at the same time and will give a spotty look. If you want to plant a large area, plant a group of one cultivar, then a group of a different one nearby.