Alan Titchmarsh gives tips looking after daffodils
Daffodils are one of the most loved spring flowers, despite appearing late in winter – around February before the weather warms up. No matter where they are grown, the yellow petals look undeniably beautiful at their peak, though it is best to give them some TLC when they start to wilt.
The flowering season for daffodils, also known as Narcisssi, typically runs from February until May though this depends largely on the variety being grown.
While they are notoriously short-lived, the spring bulbs can be carefully maintained to bloom for longer and even return for years to come.
Gardening expert and author Sarah Raven said: “Narcissi are one of the life-affirming flowers of spring. There are daffs that come up early, bringing with them sunshine colour just when we need it most, and there are late-flowering and long-lasting varieties that extend the spring show – combine the two and you’ll have nearly three months of cheery colour and scent in your garden and home.
“They are also hardy perennial bulbs, so with proper planting and care they will come back every year. They can clump up and spread over time.”
According to the gardening expert, the timing is just right to secure a fresh flush of blooms next spring.
All you need to do is remove the dead flowers from the plant once they turn visibly wilted and dry. This is known as deadheading.
Sarah explained: “To deadhead daffodils, cut the stem above the leaves. Deadhead them once they have flowered to help divert energy to build up reserves in the bulb rather than for seed production.
“Do not remove the foliage; leave it for at least six weeks after flowering – or longer – and this will also help next year’s flowers.”
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Though gardeners may think it is possible to do two jobs in one by simply mowing over old blooms among garden grass, Sarah warned against it.
She said: “Mowing daffodil foliage off too early when they’re planted in lawns is the most common cause of blind, non-flowering bulbs.
“So leave the leaves to die back naturally without snipping off or tying in knots.”
There is however an exception to the deadheading rule. Certain varieties such as “N. pseudonarcissus”, and almost any other self-sowing variety for that matter, can be left with the wilted blooms intact.
According to the gardening expert, these benefit from being left with the seed heads on until they have opened and dispersed their seeds.
This typically occurs in late May or early June when the summer climate sets in.
Deadheading is incredibly easy to do using nothing other than your hands. Just pinch the petals off the stem using the thumb and index finger.
The old flower heads can then be tossed onto the compost heap and later used to enrich the soil for summer bulbs.
While some gardening experts recommend tying together the flimsy stems after daffodils finish flowering, Alan Titchmarsh urged people to rethink their decision.
He noted that this common mistake is made by many when they tie the empty stems in a knot or put an elastic band around them.
Instead, he insisted that they should be left to “flop” – which should occur around six weeks after blooming ends.
Alan said: “That allows the sun to get in there, photosynthesise through the leaves, make food, send it down to the bulb for next year’s flowers. Then, about the end of May, you can chop them off completely at the ground.”
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