-
Trumpet, cupped or any of the other 11 "divisions" (types) of daffodils are all variations of the species narcissus. Also known as jonquils, paperwhites or buttercups, these long-lived harbingers of spring are members of the amaryllis family, fragrant cousins of leeks, onion and garlic. They are the national flower of Wales, where they are worn on St. David's Day, March 1. Like their cousins and siblings, narcissi grow from bulbs, fleshy underground bases from which both roots and leaves grow. Daffodil bulbs are tunicate bulbs, bulbs that are protected by an outer sheath of growth, added to each year. Roots and leaves both grow from a basal plate at the bottom of the bulb. Leaves and flowers grow upward through the center of the bulb, and last year's leaves (scales) add to the growth of the bulb. The underground bulb allows growth to begin before air temperatures are above freezing as the ground warms in the spring sun. When the flowers fade in the spring, the bulb begins storing food to nourish next year's plant. Treat your bulbs right and narcissi will grace your spring garden for years to come.
- Daffodils are an undemanding lot. They bloom each spring and their leaves spend the summer soaking up sunshine as their roots extract nutrients during the summer and fall. Their leaves die back as their energy is packed away, and by the middle of summer, they shrivel above ground. New baby bulbs---bulbils---grow around the basal plate. Within a year or two, they'll be large enough to flower on their own, forming bunches of daffodils where once there were just a few. Every few years, bulbs should be dug up and bulbils (some of which may be as big as the original bulbs) separated in the fall. Bulbils can be cut or broken off the parents, and both should be dusted with fungicide before replanting. The bulbs will tell you when they should be reset by producing fewer blooms and foliage. Reset bulbs at their original depth. Nonproducing or diseased bulbs should be discarded.
-
Narcissus bulbs ask only to have plenty of sunlight in the spring and early summer, a well-drained location and plenty of spring showers. A scattering of garden fertilizer after blooming (too much nitrogen encourages leaf growth and limits flower development) will help the bulb store energy for next spring. Shallow-rooted annuals can be interplanted with daffodils to give bulbs cover for the summer and fall. Encourage your narcissi to propagate faster by enlarging the area at the basal plate. Use a sharp knife to scoop out, score or core the basal plate or to section the bulb itself. All bulbs or sections should be dusted with a fungicide before replanting. Some methods will provide more numerous, smaller bulbils; others will yield fewer, larger ones. Bulbs should be reset in the fall unless they're being brought in to force for winter bloom, in which case they can finish their dormant period in a refrigerator or unheated cellar.
