Why are my daffodils not in bloom?
- Thread starter Mazz
- Start date
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Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
Depends on the variety.
Also depends on where they’re from and who produced them. Year before last the ones we bought from a local garden centre were as blind as bats.
Julia9054
Guru
- Location
- Knaresborough
Maybe give them time.
I put loads of daffodils in my garden about 6 years ago and this year is the first year they have been anywhere near decent.
I used to joke that I had a host of golden daffodils . . . one at a time.
Some years they have barely flowered at all.
This year they've had a meeting and decided to collectively pull their finger out.
(Disclaimer: I know bugger all about gardening)
I put loads of daffodils in my garden about 6 years ago and this year is the first year they have been anywhere near decent.
I used to joke that I had a host of golden daffodils . . . one at a time.
Some years they have barely flowered at all.
This year they've had a meeting and decided to collectively pull their finger out.
(Disclaimer: I know bugger all about gardening)
annedonnelly
Girl from the North Country
- Location
- Blyth, Northumberland
The ones in my front garden (unknown variety) are always later than any others locally, but put on a great show.
I think sometimes they can be "blind" in a particular year because they didn't build up enough energy in the bulb the previous year. I'd give them a year or so to settle in.
Oh, and a tip for getting bulbs is to watch out for council workmen removing them from display beds. They just bin them so if you ask nicely they should be happy for you to take some - it's mainly tuilps they use round here, some of them are very smart.
I think sometimes they can be "blind" in a particular year because they didn't build up enough energy in the bulb the previous year. I'd give them a year or so to settle in.
Oh, and a tip for getting bulbs is to watch out for council workmen removing them from display beds. They just bin them so if you ask nicely they should be happy for you to take some - it's mainly tuilps they use round here, some of them are very smart.
My old foreman was a national champion grower so I learned a thing or two about them over the years.
Depends on the variety and if they are single or doubles, doubles always flower later. The quality of bulbs is also issue many of the mass market ones can be hit and miss. It maybe they simply are too small to have flowers the first few years.
Do they have any flower steams or are they just all leaves? It can also be down to the weather.
The issues of when they go blind generally after having flowered for years before. Is mostly down to "mothering up" which is when the bulb producers more bulbs around it which are too small to flower.
Weight on the bulb will stop most this , most Daffs are planted way too shallow. Ask any one who shows them and they will tell you they plant deep. No less than 18inch my foreman had all his 2ft deep. I always planned them deep and never had an issue until narcissus fly killed the lot off.
Generally best way to care for them once flowered nip off the dead flower head. Stops them trying to make seed keeping all the engery for building up the bulb. Feed them with a good handful of potash around the base.
What ever you don't tie up or cut the leaves off it a big no no. They need them to feed the bulb leave them to either die down or you can safely cut them off 6 weeks after flowering. Even if they don't flower this year I'd still feed them and leave them it will help to build the bulb up for next year.
On a side note if you want some thing a bit different and more natural looking plant a few of our native daffodils.
Depends on the variety and if they are single or doubles, doubles always flower later. The quality of bulbs is also issue many of the mass market ones can be hit and miss. It maybe they simply are too small to have flowers the first few years.
Do they have any flower steams or are they just all leaves? It can also be down to the weather.
The issues of when they go blind generally after having flowered for years before. Is mostly down to "mothering up" which is when the bulb producers more bulbs around it which are too small to flower.
Weight on the bulb will stop most this , most Daffs are planted way too shallow. Ask any one who shows them and they will tell you they plant deep. No less than 18inch my foreman had all his 2ft deep. I always planned them deep and never had an issue until narcissus fly killed the lot off.
Generally best way to care for them once flowered nip off the dead flower head. Stops them trying to make seed keeping all the engery for building up the bulb. Feed them with a good handful of potash around the base.
What ever you don't tie up or cut the leaves off it a big no no. They need them to feed the bulb leave them to either die down or you can safely cut them off 6 weeks after flowering. Even if they don't flower this year I'd still feed them and leave them it will help to build the bulb up for next year.
On a side note if you want some thing a bit different and more natural looking plant a few of our native daffodils.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
we have odd one here too, seems to be loads about and ours have only had a few flowers
oldwheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Isle of Mull
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
Our usually reliable daffodils have also had a bad year. Maybe 20 flowers from 200 bulbs.
The snowdrops were amazing, though. Masses of them.
I put it down to the exceptionally warm and wet winter here in SW England.
The snowdrops were amazing, though. Masses of them.
I put it down to the exceptionally warm and wet winter here in SW England.
Time Waster
Veteran
Our snowdrops weren't great, daffs seem a little better. Not sure it's bluebell time yet as we've not seen any. Our hellebore are putting on a great show this year though.
Daffs are bulbs, as such I believe the flowering quality depends a lot on the post flowering period the year before. If its been able to put a lot of energy into the bulb then it's got a better chance of flowering well. Sometimes when we've moved bulbed plants the next year they're no good as they're busy putting out growth to settle and set up for the next year. If that makes sense. Roots and leaves to produce a strong bulb for next year
Daffs are bulbs, as such I believe the flowering quality depends a lot on the post flowering period the year before. If its been able to put a lot of energy into the bulb then it's got a better chance of flowering well. Sometimes when we've moved bulbed plants the next year they're no good as they're busy putting out growth to settle and set up for the next year. If that makes sense. Roots and leaves to produce a strong bulb for next year
Yeh, plenty of the council verges and parks are in full bloom with daffs. They seem to be mocking me and my daffs.
