Question
QUESTION: Hi--

I have a question about daffodils . . . I planted twenty daffodil bulbs around a bush last December (in NJ) and in the spring, nineteen sprouted leaves, but only three actually blossomed.  Do you have any idea why only three bloomed?  (All were planted at the same time at the same depth; the variety was for a location of full sun to part shade, which is where they are located.)

Thanks.

ANSWER: Greetings Ed,

I am sorry about your disappointment with your daffodils. I have some questions for you, which may help.

Did you feed your daffodils with a high nitrogen fertilizer? If you did, you may have encouraged them to produce leaves, but high nitrogen fertilizers diminish the bulb抯 flowers.

You note that you grew them near a bush. Is it a greedy feeder? Does it grow quickly? Is it possible that it gobbled up all the nutrients in the soil? That commonly results in weak plants, and very few flowers.

May I ask just how much sun they are getting? They need at least a half day of full sunlight to produce flowers. If they are planted in partial shade, they will need more than half a day.

Did the bulbs look firm when you bought them? Sometimes retail sources put the bulbs in closed crates for a long time during shipping. It can be better to buy bulbs from companies that ship them to you. They are not much more expensive, but they tend to be better bulbs and they are guaranteed to be replaced if there is a problem.

Please write back and let me know whether any of the above are representative of your situation.  Then we can brainstorm further.

Donna


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Donna:

I did not fertilize the daffodils when planting or afterward.  I doubt that the bush took all the nutrients, since I also planted grape hyacinths nearby and they all bloomed normally.  They should have gotten enough sun, even though shaded by the bush, there were no leaves on it when the flowers were growing, so sunlight would have easily shone through the bare branches.  The bulbs seemed to be in good condition when I got them.  

The only thing I can think of is that the planting time on the package stated "Sept.-Nov." and I planted them in late December.  Would that have caused most of them them to pop up well but with no flowers?  If so, do you think they will bloom properly next year?

Thanks..

Answer
Hello Ed,

Thank you for your patience with all my questions. I think you have it! Planting them in late December gave them insufficient time to set down roots and build up their strength for bloom.  The entity you bought them probably obtained them in late August, so the bulbs had been waiting to be planted for some time.


There should be no problem with them blooming next year. I have already fertilized my bulbs for next year, and this would be a good time for you to do it as well, since they are now building toward next year. Pick up some food marked for bulbs, add it now, and then fertilize again in the fall. That should produce very nice flowers in the spring.

Donna