Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Daffodil dilemma

Why so few daffodils in the garden this spring? Except for a stand of white "Mount Hood" bulbs, which are regaining strength as a side benefit of the regular fertilization of the evergreens around which they are planted, the daffodil showing has been pretty sparse.  I'm seeing problems: a bit of bud blast and lots of plants sprouting only leaves.

The American Daffodil Society provides some explanations for daffodils that fail to bloom and offers tips for growing daffodils.  Too bad that I didn't get the memo earlier.  Fertilize when the leaf tips emerge?  Missed that. Separate the bulbs every few years? Wouldn't dream of doing that. Water while growing? Skipped that.



The real dilemma of daffodil cultivation lies in the fact that a certain amount of care has to be performed after any trace of the plant has disappeared from sight. So, for example, how do you ensure that the low nitrogen fertilizer cast so freely in the fall actually comes in contact with any bulbs?  And who wants to wait six months to find out?  I'm not too good with being patient and definitely irresponsible about tagging and labelling plants. 

In the meantime, to trick myself into thinking that we're actually busting at the seams with daffodils, I scavenged a big selection for an indoors vase.  That works for now.


1 comment:

Rachel said...

I thought these daffodils are real. Good read indeed.

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