Daffy Down Dilly

Daffodils are one of spring's first flowers, and they don't last long.  This year at my house, the Easter Bunny brought a potted daffodil and now that the blooms have gone, the formerly green foliage is now yellowing and floppy on my kitchen table.

In the old days I would call my mom or walk down the street and ask the avid gardeners what to do.   Sadly, asking google is way more convenient....so from my perusal of the web, the correct time to plant is in the fall, several weeks before the hard frost is expected but when the ground is below 60 degrees.   The soil should be loosened up to a depth of around 12 inches or so.  The bulb should be planted four times its height, with the pointed end UP. And space them out...because they multiply.

So what about all the sloppy floppy stuff, stems and leaves?  Despite the inclination of gardeners to clean up everything that appears to be dying, that's not the right thing to do in this case. . just leave them alone.  Don't remove the yellowing foliage or flowers until they are pretty much dried up and remove easily, usually about six weeks after the flowers are pretty dead.  You do not have to "deadhead."  The common thinking that the heads will deprive the bulbs of energy is not true, just the opposite.   And after you do remove the foliage, remember the bulbs are there and water them from time to time, especially in the late summer or fall if there is a long dry spell.   It may help to cover the bulbs with a mulch for the winter...something very permeable so they can sprout up through it in the spring.

Daffodils usually spread so every five to ten years the bulbs can be dug up, separated, and planted anew.  But you DO NOT need to dig them up every year.  They are pretty much an effortless flower.

I love gardening but am not an expert.  So if you know something that I missed on the care and feeding of daffodils, speak up!