By Judithjune
United Kingdom
Is it worth keeping daffodil bulbs that have not flowered this Spring ?
If so, what can I do to encourage flower in the future?
- 1 Mar, 2012
Answers
Lots of daffs round here are flowering very poorly this year. I have fewer than half what we had last year. Someone has suggested it may be because of the dry late spring last year. I have too many to feed they are naturalised on a steep bank)so am just hoping for the best! A high potash feed is what I would like to give them!
1 Mar, 2012
Where you are, Steragram, the winter temperatures may not have been low enough to trigger flower initiation - daffs need a spell of cold to flower properly.
1 Mar, 2012
That's interesting. i didn't know they needed a period of cold.I wonder why that is, as the flowers are already formed in the bulbs? I am in Pembrokeshire. About half of them on the bank have now got buds or flowers and all the newly planted ones are in the rest of the garden are flowering. We have only had two or three sharp frosts but the ones on the bank that are flowering are mixed with the blind ones. I have noticed a similar thing in other gardens around. Interestingly some in the next village planted on a bank where there are several underground springs have all flowered well as usual.
1 Mar, 2012
The flowers are waiting in the bulb, if they're healthy - they need initiating with a period of cold to grow and push their way out - if that doesn't happen, the flower aborts and only the leaves grow. But to be honest, I'd have thought it was more or less cold enough most places this year.
1 Mar, 2012
Blind daffodils are not worth bothering with - I have tried to feed them, especially in the autumn, and they have never responded. Go with Germaine Greer - pull them up and throw them out ... it happens.
2 Mar, 2012
Can't bring myself to do it - there are so many. Will wait first and see what happens next year.
4 Mar, 2012
Isn't it a bit early to decide they're not going to flower? It's only just 1st March, some flower much later.
Even so, yes, worth keeping - feed them every week while the leaves are present with a liquid feed, something like Miracle Gro general purpose will do. It won't make any difference to them now, but the plant should utilise the feed to create next year's flowers.
1 Mar, 2012