How to Naturalize Daffodil Bulbs

Naturalized daffodils are cheerful harbingers of spring in most of the U.S.

Daffodils are one of the most welcomed and cheerful harbingers of spring. The American Daffodil Society says that daffodils will bloom throughout most of the United States, with the exception of frost-free parts of the south, making them favorite garden beauties just about everywhere.



Long lasting plants that multiply and naturalize easily with breathtaking effect, daffodils are often grown in established gardens, but to naturalize daffodils means to plant them in your lawn, and to allow them to spread naturally where they may. For those who prefer a more primitive, spontaneous, and unhindered style for their yard, naturalizing daffodils and other spring blooming bulbs is a great way to accomplish that goal.

Things You'll Need

• Daffodil bulbs
• Garden spade
• Bone meal or bulb fertilizer

Instructions

Naturalizing Daffodils

1. Choose your daffodil bulbs for naturalizing. BeautifulBotany.com recommends the cultivars Mount Hood, Peeping Tom, February Gold, Ice Follies, Minnow Tete-a-Tete, Salome and Suzy as great bulbs for naturalizing, but all daffodil cultivars will naturalize quite easily given the right conditions.

2. Choose your location for naturalizing, or growing daffodils in natural looking groupings. Any part of your yard will work provided it has good drainage and sunlight. Remember that daffodils are happy to grow and bloom under deciduous trees, because the flowers will bloom well before the trees have leafed out for the season and begun to provide shade.

3. Working in small areas, remove the top two inches of sod and soil with your spade, and then set the sod aside. Loosen the exposed soil to a depth of roughly 8 inches with your spade. Sprinkle bone meal or bulb fertilizer on the soil according to package directions and work it in.

4. Take a handful of daffodil bulbs and scatter them haphazardly on top of the loosened soil, separating the bulbs that land too close together. Bulbs should have at least a few inches between them to allow for naturalizing. The reason you scatter bulbs haphazardly is that you want a natural effect, not a planned one. Continue to scatter bulbs until the area is filled to the density you desire. Plant each bulb in its place, pointed side up, to a depth of six to eight inches, or according to package directions.

5. Replace the sod and tamp down firmly. Water the area well. Repeat the process until your entire area to be naturalized is planted. Your daffodils will reappear year after year, increasing in numbers each spring.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove spent blossoms on daffodils, but allow the stems and leaves to yellow before mowing. The stems and leaves provide food for your bulbs.

References

• American Daffodil Society: Naturalizing Daffodils
• BeautifulBotany.com: Naturalizing Daffodils