Daffodils are far from daffy or delicate. You can count on them to be hardy, basically foolproof and defenders against foe, especially deer and voles.
For decades, big yellow trumpetlike daffodils have been mainstays of the bulb market. Newcomers include hybrids in peaches, creams, pinks and oranges.
Miniature daffodils, however, delight gardeners with their jewellike qualities. Minis can go anywhere into pots and flower boxes, around trees and shrubs or among ground covers.
Miniature daffodils have been growing in England for more than three centuries. U.S. gardeners are just discovering them, thanks to new hybrids and the desire for smaller plants in city gardens.
These little plants thrive in rock gardens where the soil is lean and drainage is good. Give them ample moisture while they are in full spring growth and let them bake to ripen the foliage and nourish the next flower, says the American Daffodil Society.
Mini daffodils afford a long blooming season, first with the bulbocodiums, trumpets and cyclamineus hybrids, followed by the delicate triandrus (`Angel’s tears’) and ending the season with late-blooming jonquils. The bulbocodiums and cyclamineus both thrive in moist and shady locations; their progeny need good drainage and sun.
Growing tips
Here are general daffodil-growing tips from the American Daffodil Society and the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center (www.bulb.com/).
– Plant daffodils when the fall soil is cool, up to any time until the ground freezes.
– They will grow in light shade but do best in full sun. Deep shade keeps them from blooming after the first year.
– They grow well in most soils but need plenty of moisture from the time they are planted until they finish growing in late spring. A good soaking once a week is not too much. The soil, however, should drain well.
– During soil preparation, a complete fertilizer low in nitrogen (3-6-6 or 5-10-10) should be worked in at a rate of about 1/4 cup per square foot. Do not let fertilizer come in direct contact with bulbs. Never use fresh manure; bone meal is not beneficial.
– Most root growth happens fall and early winter. Plant large bulbs about 6 inches deep, smaller bulbs at lesser depths.
– After the plant blooms, don’t cut off or braid the sprawling green foliage; you will severely limit the short time that the bulb has to make its growth and form a flower. Wait until the foliage dries up. Then remove it and cultivate the ground so insects have no path down the hole left by the foliage directly to the bulbs.
– Mulch gives bulbs a longer, better growing season. It also keeps flowers clean and the ground cooler in summer.
– Fertilize your bulbs each fall. Well-fed bulbs often do not need dividing.
– It is not uncommon for bulbs to fail to flower or give small blooms the second year in your garden. They are busy adapting to your soil, your climate and your care. By the third season, they should reward your care with bouquets of blooms.
Defining daffodils
What is the difference between a daffodil, narcissus and jonquil? Narcissus is the Latin botanical name; daffodil is the common English name. The two terms are interchangeable. Only one species of daffodil is correctly called jonquilla; crosses of this species with other daffodils are called jonquil hybrids.
