Daffodil Planting Main Image

Daffodil Planting

November is the best month to get daffodil bulbs planted. These beautiful, spring-blooming bulbs are deer resistant and hardy, so they can be left in the ground year after year. But be sure to divide them every three to five years to create more quantity in the field and garden.

This particular bulb comes in thousands of varieties and with each one there are differences that will appeal to each gardener/flower farmer.  Some are fragrant with others unscented; there are single blooms and there are doubles. Honestly, it’s a hard decision when choosing which to grow for our flower farming business and the same for the home gardener.

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Daffodils are a hardy perennial that come back year after year spreading and often naturalizing. If planted for the home gardener, they fit well between shrubs, in borders and even in pots.  You’ll find that many gardeners plant bulbs not only in dozens but by the hundreds. They’re an investment that keeps on living!

Daffodils will tolerate some crowding but prefer spacing at about 3 to 6 inches apart.  Plant the bulb about 2 times as deep as the bulb is tall.  For example, a 2-inch bulb should be about 4 inches in the ground, while a 3-inch bulb will be planted 6 inches deep.  I personally like to heap an inch or two of fresh compost on top of the planted area because as the soil freezes and thaws, the freshly planted area will sink some.  Tip: where winters are severe, it’s good to take precautions and make sure your bulbs have at least 3 inches of soil covering them, no matter the size.

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When planting daffodils, why not add another spring-flowering bulb or two in the same area of the garden or landscape? Creating a springtime floral masterpiece right within your garden with a mixture of bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths and crocuses will be a welcoming sight come spring!  I love pairing hyacinths, tulips and daffodils—with their different heights, it gives detail to the eye.  When choosing the mixture of spring-flowering bulbs, go with the same color palette such as peachy colors all in different tones. For example, soft peach, a brighter peach and a deep peach. You’ll be amazed at the show it will give using that color method.

So, with all this being shared, hurry along and get those bulbs in the ground. The clock is ticking on winter setting in!

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Pamela Anthony
Beehind Thyme Farm & Garden