With bright golden yellow trumpet flowers, the daffodil announces the approaching spring. Dubbed the yellow daffodil or trumpet daffodil, it is clear in which direction the cultivation of this bulbous flower is trending. If you still have unanswered questions about the right planting and professional care, you will receive a relevant answer here.
How do you properly care for daffodils?
Easter bells are yellow spring bloomers that bloom from March to April and belong to the daffodils. They prefer humus-rich, fresh, moist soil, a sunny to semi-shady location and a planting distance of 15-20 cm. Wilted flowers should be cut off and yellow leaves removed when they have completely withered.
Planting daffodils correctly
If planted professionally, a daffodil bulb produces magnificent flowers up to 20 times. Therefore, attach particular importance to the following process:
- In a sunny to partially shaded location, weed and loosen the humus-rich, fresh, moist soil thoroughly
- Dig small pits in the fine crumbly soil at a distance of 10-15 cm
- Optimize the excavated soil with sifted compost and sand
- Insert 1-2 onions at a time with the tip facing upwards
- The ideal planting depth is twice to three times the size of the bulb
After each planting hole has been filled with the enriched substrate, press the soil lightly and add a splash of water over it.read more
Care tips
In order for the bright yellow spring flowers to reach their full beauty, they require the following care:
- Water moderately in dry conditions without causing standing puddles of water
- In early March and early April, fertilize organically with compost, horn shavings or guano
- In the pot, fertilize liquidly every 2 weeks from March until the end of the flowering period
- Cut off wilted flowers immediately
- Do not remove the leaves until they have completely withered
In the year of planting, we recommend light winter protection in the form of a layer of leaves and coniferous twigs. Daffodil bulbs ideally overwinter in a planter in a cool, yet frost-free room. From the beginning/mid of February the flowers can be planted on the sunny windowsill.
Which location is suitable?
If you assign daffodils a sunny location, the spring flowers will compete with the sun. In the partially shaded spot, the beauties lose little of their magic as long as it is warm and protected from the wind. The onions quickly gain a foothold in loose, deep, humus-rich soil with normal moisture content.
The correct planting distance
If the planting distance corresponds to half the expected growth height of 30-40 cm, you can create a lush appearance in the bed with daffodils. So plant the bulbs in the soil at a distance of 15-20 cm. In the balcony box and pot it should be 5 cm less, so a distance of 10-15 cm is the right choice.
What soil does the plant need?
If daffodils had free choice, they would choose a soil with these attributes:
- Humos and fresh-moist
- Well drained, without risk of waterlogging
- Preferably a neutral to slightly acidic pH value
When in doubt, soil additives optimize the soil. Compost improves a sandy, dry substrate in no time, while a handful of sand in loamy soil ensures the desired permeability.
What is the best time to plant?
Autumn is the best time to plant flower bulbs. This applies to daffodils as well as all types of daffodils. In September and October the tubers establish themselves very well in the warm, sunny soil. After the first frost, the time window for planting closes.
When is flowering time?
The daffodils from the large daffodil family get their name from their flowering period from March to April. To ensure that the spring bloomers unfold their magic at Easter time every year, first cut off the withered heads at the end of the flowering period. The dead foliage is removed when it has completely yellowed and withered.read more
Cut Easter bells correctly
If you cut daffodils in two passes, this care will contribute significantly to the vitality and willingness to bloom of the yellow beauties. Withered flower heads are cut off with a sharp, disinfected knife. However, you only cut off the leaves when they have completely dried up and withered away. Until then, the onion, as an underground survival organ, assimilates all remaining nutrients in order to create reserves for the next season.
Water Easter bells
Water daffodils only when Mother Nature is stingy with the rain. If the soil surface dries, apply water directly to the root area and avoid sprinkling. It is an advantage if you alternate between using lime-free rainwater and lime-containing tap water. In this way, you can prevent excess lime from forming, especially in the pot.
Fertilize daffodils properly
You can play it safe with organic fertilization so that there is no excess nitrogen. Too much nitrogen only promotes foliage growth, which is at the expense of the abundance of flowers. To start the flowering period, add a portion of sifted compost with horn shavings or guano granules. If you refresh this supply of nutrients in April, the onion will use it to create energy reserves for the next season. Cultivated in the limited substrate volume of the balcony box and pot, daffodils receive liquid fertilizer for flowering plants every 2 weeks in March and April.
Wintering
Freshly planted, daffodils are still trying to establish a robust winter hardiness. We therefore recommend light protection in the first winter. If you cover the planting site with leaves and coniferous twigs until mid/end of February, neither frost nor moisture can harm the spring flowers. In subsequent years, these precautions will only be necessary in harsh winter locations. Pots and flower boxes with yellow daffodils remain in the frost-free, dark winter quarters until February. In mild regions, wrap the containers thickly in bubble wrap, place them on wood and cover the substrate with leaves or peat moss.
Propagate daffodils
As part of the uncomplicated propagation, the daffodil puts the suitable plant material into your hands. If you dig up a perennial in September/October, you will see several daughter bulbs at the base. Cut these off with a sharp, disinfected knife. In the further course you have the choice between two approaches:
- Let the bulbs root in pots with standard soil and then plant them out
- Plant in the new location immediately after separation from the mother bulb
Sowing seeds, on the other hand, is much more complex. Since these are cold germinators, stratification is necessary. In addition, it takes 3 years or more before the first flowers appear.
How do I transplant correctly?
Experience has shown that the vitality of daffodils visibly decreases after about 5-6 years. Then the time is ripe to give the heralds of spring a rejuvenation treatment and replant. At the earliest one month after flowering or in autumn, dig up the perennial to divide it into two or more segments. After the soil at the previous or new location has been enriched with compost, plant the bulbs again and water them a little. For daffodils in pots, this care measure is usually on the agenda every 2-3 years. Please keep in mind the high toxic content when carrying out this work and wear robust work gloves at all times.
Easter bells in a pot
The daffodils will be shining at us in the store from February onwards. Who can resist this temptation? To ensure that the yellow daffodils spread a spring atmosphere in your home, this care is important:
- Set up in a bright window seat without the blazing sun at midday
- Water regularly but moderately without causing waterlogging
- Fertilizer is unnecessary in freshly potted daffodils
- Cut off wilted flowers with a sharp knife
Leave the leaves on the flower until they have completely yellowed. Until then, the onion will absorb all the remaining nutrients so that it can sprout again next year.
Is daffodils poisonous?
Easter bells are part of the amaryllis family and are poisonous garden plants. In view of their magnificent trumpet flowers, the toxicity is often underestimated. In fact, various toxins flow through the plant pathways and are particularly concentrated in the bulb. Children and pets should therefore not be within reach of yellow daffodils. Wear protective gloves and long-sleeved clothing during all planting and care work to avoid triggering skin dermatitis.read more
Yellow leaves
If yellow leaves develop on daffodils at the end of the flowering period, it is a completely natural process. The discoloration shows that the onion is absorbing all remaining nutrients from the leaves. In the end, the survival organ has a well-filled reserve of energy for the next season. Therefore, only cut off yellow leaves when they have withered completely.
How should daffodils be cared for after flowering?
If the golden yellow flowers are coming to an end, you can make a valuable contribution to the abundance of flowers next year with the following care measures:
- First cut off the withered flowers with a sharp knife
- Leave the leaves until they have completely yellowed and withered
- Never tear off fallen leaves, always cut them off with gloved hands
It is beneficial if daffodils are treated to a portion of compost during this phase. At this time, the onion commandeers all the nutrients it can get its hands on in order to create energy reserves for the next season.
Are daffodils and daffodils one and the same?
Every daffodil is a daffodil, while not every daffodil is a daffodil. Therefore the daffodil is also known under the names yellow daffodil and trumpet daffodil. The spring flower can be clearly identified by its golden yellow color, while other daffodils often have a whitish yellow shade. First and foremost, the flowering period from March to April defines the bulb flower as a daffodil.
Beautiful varieties
The daffodil was at least involved as one parent in the varieties presented below.
- Dutch Master: Large-flowered, golden-yellow daffodil with folded petals along the secondary crown
- Primeur: The variety impresses with strikingly large and broad, golden yellow petals
- Spellbinder: The hybrid blooms in pure yellow, only to turn light yellow to whitish yellow as it progresses
- Tenby: Robust classic from England, cultivated since the Middle Ages with compact growth up to 30 cm
