How to Plant Daffodil Bulbs

When and Where to Plant Daffodil or Narcissus or Jonquil Bulbs and How to Dig the Hole for the Bulbs and How to Select and Purchase Good Bulbs

Oct 28, 2006

Fall is daffodil (Narcissus) bulb planting time. Learn where to plant, how to plant, and how and where to purchase good quality bulbs to plant in your garden or landscape

Everybody celebrates when the spring daffodils bloom. What better antidote to winter than those cheerful yellow flowers! Daffodils (also called jonquils and the botanical name is Narcissus) come back year after year and are easy to grow. Daffodils are customarily planted in the fall as bare bulbs. Roughly mid September through mid November is the usual planting season, but you can plant until the ground freezes.

Where to Plant Daffodils

Daffodils grow best with ample sunlight, preferably all day long. At a minimum they need six hours of direct sun. In too much shade, flowering will be reduced and their performance will decline.

Daffodils grow well in many different types of soil, but they need a planting site that is well drained, meaning a location where runoff does not collect after a rain. Avoid low spots and places that tend to be swampy or extra muddy.

How to Plant a Daffodil Bulb

Plant the bulbs about six inches apart. Dig the hole three to four times deeper than the bulb is tall or about eight inches deep. If your soil is loose and soft, you may find that a bulb planting tool works for you. I use a sharp spade. Some people like the bulb planting augers that attach to a drill, but I feel they compact the surrounding soil.

Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole to encourage rooting. Set the bulb firmly in the bottom of the hole; give it a gentle twist so it sits securely upright. Be sure to place the bulb pointy end up. Return the soil to the hole and you’re done.

It’s best to plant just before a rain storm, or else water generously to settle any air pockets.

How to Purchase Daffodil Bulbs

Look for daffodil or narcissus bulbs at nurseries and garden centers in the fall. Select bulbs that are plump and firm. For once, bigger really is better. Larger bulbs are preferable over smaller bulbs of the same variety. Reject bulbs that are soft or squishy, show signs of mold, or smell bad.

The bulbs are graded for size. A Number 3 Round is a nice big fat single "landscaping" or "naturalizing" bulb with a single nose. It will produce one flower next spring. Sometimes you’ll find Number 2 grade double nose bulbs, meaning two stuck together at the bottom or basal plate. These "top size" or "bedding size" bulbs produce two blooms, one per nose.

Specialty bulb catalogs offer a wider selection of Narcissus varieties. You might even find Number 1 grade double-nose bulbs capable of producing three blooms. Some offer discounted pricing for orders placed far in advance, or special pricing on large quantities.

The copyright of the article How to Plant Daffodil Bulbs in Flower Gardens is owned by Barbara M. Martin. Permission to republish How to Plant Daffodil Bulbs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.