Narcissus is a hardy garden plant that will continue to bloom beautifully year after year. The secret to being able to get blooms every year is to provide the plant with the right amount of fertilizer at the right time.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Fertilize the daffodils
Step 1. Fertilize daffodils when the soil needs to be enriched with nutrients
Once planted, daffodils usually bloom again every year without needing too much care. However, as they remain in the soil for a long time, it can become depleted as the plants consume the nutrients found around them. Fertilizing is therefore necessary to add nutrients to the depleted soil.
Daffodils also reproduce by dividing the original bulb, which means that, eventually, many other plants will occupy the same space. This is a further burden on the availability of nutrients in the soil
Step 2. Purchase a soil test kit to evaluate its composition and nutritional quality in relation to the needs of the narcissus
You can purchase a kit to assess soil capabilities, but it is especially important to understand that soil conditions vary from point to point in the garden, even in a confined area (often this depends on what was previously planted).
- Do not assume that fertilizing plants will always result in larger and more beautiful flowers. In fact, it is important to give the right balance of nutrients to the soil, so that the blooms continue.
- An excess of nutrients such as nitrogen or potassium can often encourage the plant to develop leaves rather than flowers or cause weak growth.
Step 3. Choose the right type of fertilizer for your daffodils
Both a balanced slow-release fertilizer and one with a higher content of phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen will work well.
- Balanced means that these three main elements are in similar proportions. Slow-release fertilizers are usually labeled this way, but are also referred to with the word granular.
- The cheapest choice is usually a blood, fish and bone fertilizer but beware, it can be very smelly!
Step 4. Feed the daffodils early in the growing season
Daffodils should be fed early in the growing season, as soon as the plant begins to sprout into the ground and become visible. This usually occurs in early spring.
- At this time of year, it is best to use a liquid or water-soluble fertilizer.
- Some gardeners continue to feed daffodils every few weeks throughout the growing season, until the foliage wilts and dies, however in most gardens this can mean overfeeding the plants.
Step 5. Mulch the daffodils after the growing season instead of fertilizing again
Insisting on fertilizer isn't always the right answer. In fact, they don't need a large amount of fertilizer and you are more likely to feed them in excess rather than in deficiency. While some plants need to be fertilized before and after the growing season, you should only fertilize your daffodils at the beginning of the growing season and, therefore, just mulch at the end of the season.
Apply 7.5 to 10 centimeters of organic mulch around the daffodils. Organic mulch can include well-rotted manure or a compote of leaves. Mulching will help protect your plants from the cold and may even restore some nutrients to the soil
Step 6. Fertilize container grown daffodils after the growing season
If you planted daffodils in containers in spring, the compost you used should have the necessary nutrients for the growing season, so there should be no need to fertilize these plants early in the growing season. However, you can fertilize them later if you hope to have blooms in the following year.
- Be aware that container planted daffodils generally don't grow well the second year they stay in the container. However, if you want to keep them for a second season, fertilize after the growing season to improve their performance the following season.
- When flowering ends, coat the surface of the container with a slow-release fertilizer such as bone meal (this is pretty smelly, so you can't keep the container indoors!) Or a granular fertilizer. About two months after the flowers wither, turn the container on its side for about three months and avoid watering until autumn.
Method 2 of 2: Caring for Daffodils
Step 1. Let the daffodil foliage die on its own
Daffodils are very adept at manufacturing the energy they need through photosynthesis (the absorption of sunlight). It is important not to cut the foliage after flowering, in fact this is the most important period in which the plants get the necessary energy through their leaves. Then let the foliage wilt naturally.
- About eight weeks after flowering has finished (usually in mid-summer) the foliage should be brown and wrinkled. Then you can cut it, there should be no problem.
- Daffodils that have many leaves but no flowers have probably been overfed with nitrogen. To solve this problem, use a fertilizer with more phosphorus during the following spring.
Step 2. Keep the soil moist but not wet
Some gardeners find that their plants have many leaves but no flowers. One of the reasons can be the lack of water. If you have a spring with little rain in your area, try watering your daffodils whenever the soil is dry around the plants.
However, do not be tempted to overdo the water, as this can cause the bulbs to rot - the soil should not be wet all the time
Step 3. Make sure your daffodils are planted deep enough
Daffodils fail to bloom even when they are not planted deep enough. If you don't plant the bulbs at least two to three times their height (which is usually 10-15 centimeters) and leave a distance of at least two bulbs between them, then this can be a problem.
The lack of blooms can also indicate that the bulbs need to be divided; this happens more frequently in a flowerbed of daffodils that have flourished for several years
Step 4. Keep the bulbs cool in the winter months to ensure flowering
Daffodils may also fail to bloom if they haven't received enough cold in the winter months, or if you planted them at the wrong time. Most nursery bulbs are pre-chilled, but if this wasn't the case and you planted them late in the year, they may fail to flower in the first year.
You may have better luck the following year, after the plants have endured the winter cold. You can also try planting pre-chilled bulbs next time
Step 5. Place your daffodils in a sunny location where the soil drains well
If the bulbs are located in a place where puddles form after rain and the water does not drain easily, you may have a drainage problem. Consider pulling out the bulbs and incorporating lots of gravel or garden material, such as compost, into the soil to improve drainage. You can also consider a raised bed that helps improve drainage.
Step 6. Hoe around daffodils to prevent infestations
The narcissus fly can be another reason why plants don't bloom. Hoeing around the plant regularly can help eliminate these pests. Make sure there are no cracks in the ground that allow the larvae to access.
