Betsy's Garden |
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May 15, 2002 Why daffodils won’t bloom This has been a great spring for daffodils. The cool weather has allowed the yellow blooms to last longer than usual. Most drivers who have passed the State Farm Insurance building on Radio Drive have noticed the eye-catching display of color by the entrance drive. Our neighbors, the Rohde’s, have had flowers in their front yard for over two weeks. The drifts and clumps of bright yellow blooms have provided enjoyment for all of us who have passed or walked by. Sometimes our bulbs don’t bloom as well as we anticipate. It’s hard to not be disappointed. In the garden at our last house, I knew the bulbs were crowded and needed to be divided. They had been growing in the same spot for several years. Bulbs should be dug, after the foliage has yellowed, divided, and then replanted, every two years or so. I could have avoided smaller and smaller blooms and some non-flowering bulbs by digging and dividing the bulbs. Here are some other reasons why daffodils won’t bloom. The bulbs were planted too shallow. Daffodils should be planted 6 inches deep and 6 inches apart. The bulbs were planted too late in the season. Daffodils should be planted in the fall when the weather cools. They do need time to develop roots before the frost seeps into the ground. Perhaps the bulbs were not hardy for our Zone 4 climate. Before planting, be sure you check the zone hardiness of the bulbs. Bulbs hardy to Zone 5 will probably not survive our winters when the temperatures sink to –30 F. The bulbs rotted. Bulb rot may be caused by using fertilizers excessively high in nitrogen or fresh manure. Rots can also be caused by wet soil conditions or by poor quality, bruised or cut bulbs. The foliage was removed too early the previous season. Bulbs need leaves to help transmit food to the bulb for the next season’s bloom. The leaves should not be removed until they turn yellow, about 6 weeks after bloom. When cutting blooms for indoor use, be sure to leave as much foliage behind as possible. If bulbs flowered the first year but not the second, it is possible the area is too shady. Daffodils require 6 to 8 hours of sunshine, about a half-day of full sun. The bulbs have “wet feet.” Daffodils require good drainage. Standing water can weaken the bulbs with fusarium, or “basal rot.” Plant bulbs in a site with good drainage. The bulbs were transplanted the previous season. Some varieties tend to skip a year of blooming after transplanting. The bulbs may need extra time to recharge to resume blooming. Gardeners’ Travel tip: The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (MLA) and the Minnesota State Horticultural Society (MSHS) are sponsoring trips this spring and summer to the Floriade. The Floriade is world horticultural exhibition that takes place every ten years outside of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. There are hundreds of displays and presentations of interest to all gardeners. The trips will be hosted by garden experts from the MLA and MSHS. Trips in June and July include the Floriade and the Gardens of Ireland, June 7 – 15, Floriade and the Gardens of Provence, June 14 – 22, and Floriade and the Gardens of Sweden with Jim and Sandy Gilbert, July 11 – 20. For more information call Marshall Field’s Group Travel at 612.375.2881 or Pat O’Brien at the MLA, 952.443.1443. Betsy Halden is a resident of Woodbury. She consulted Cornell Cooperative Extension and the University of Minnesota Extension Service materials when preparing this column. You can reach Betsy Halden at eahalden@comcast.net |
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