How to Plant Narcissus Bulbs
Narcissi are low-maintenance flowers that are simple to plant as bulbs. The bulbs produce large, bright flowers that grow on long green stems. Narcissus plants can grow to be as high as 16 inches and can be used as border flowers, in flower beds or as a container flower. Narcissi reproduce on their own, bringing bright splashes of color from March through May to gardens year after year. The bulbs can be planted as soon as the last frost has passed, or they can be started indoors and transplanted outside once the weather has warmed. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Prepare the soil for narcissus bulbs by adding organic matter to the soil and breaking up the soil to aerate it. Pull out any roots and seeds that you find. The soil should have good drainage in order for the narcissi to thrive. If you have clay soil, mix in some composted materials, leaf mulch, peat moss or potting soil to improve the drainage. The soil generally does not need any nitrogen fertilizer. Using fertilizer with narcissus plants can cause the production of too many leaves, crowding out the flowers. It can also cause the bulbs to split.
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Plant the bulbs in their prepared soil according to the type of soil and the size of the bulb. In sandy soil, plant the bulb at triple the width of the bulb at its widest point. If the soil is not sandy, double the width to achieve the right depth.
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Space small narcissus bulbs at about 3 inches apart, and space large bulbs at about 5 to 7 inches apart. The base of the bulb, the flattened part, should be placed in the soil first, leaving the thinner portion of the bulb facing upward.
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Place straw or a light layer of mulch over the bulbs to help control weed growth. About 2 inches of mulch is enough to control weeds without stunting the growth of the narcissus shoots. This insulating layer will also help to keep the ground temperature constant, reducing the risk of harm to the bulbs from a late frost.
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Tips & Warnings
Narcissus bulbs will reproduce underground by dividing into new bulbs. Each year's narcissus growth will result in higher numbers of the plant because of this division.
