After flowering, pull off the old flower head and developing seed pod, so the bulb conserves energy for next years flowers. Do not cut off the leaves until they shrivel naturally, the leaves are needed to make energy for the bulb and flowers for the following year
Split established clumps after a few years or if the bulbs do not flower well (grow ‘blind’ with leaves but no buds). Do this after the foliage begins to fade
It is possible to raise daffodils from seed but they may not flower like the parent plant. It also takes many years for the bulb to grow large enough to flower.
The easiest way to have more daffodils is to divide established clumps after the leaves begin to fade after flowering
Plant out in autumn, before the ground freezes. Daffodils are happy to grow through grass or be planted in a border or by a path.
Plant two or three bulbs in a close group. Also useful in pots and containers
Very pretty and long lived in a vase, picked are buds they will open in the vase
Toxic!
Not generally grown from seed, as it takes a bulb two or three years to form a flower. Easier from bulb of setts or dividing an established clump after flowering
These estimates for how long Daffodil takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.
Average 88 days | Min 1 days | Max 207 days (36)
Average 147 days | Min 108 days | Max 233 days (2)
Average 176 days | Min 145 days | Max 223 days (22)
Narcissus comes from greek ‘narks’ or numb, thought to be the effect of the plant sap
It was thought that daffodils would stop hens laying eggs, so they were not popular with chicken keepers
Narcissus, Mini-daff, daffodil
Narcissus L.
Misspellings: Dafodil, Dafodill, Daffodill, Narcissi
1 http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants/daffodil.aspx