When should you plant daffodil bulbs? Follow Monty Don's step-by-step guide
If you're wondering when to plant daffodil bulbs, you're not alone; amateur gardeners everywhere have been flooding Google with queries about our beloved narcissus.
If you are hoping to make these bright yellow blooms the centrepiece of all your spring garden ideas, then it's a good idea to start prepping everything now. After all, this isn't one of those quick-fix garden trends you can set up in just a few minutes.
Thank goodness, then, that gardening guru Monty Don has taken it upon himself to share his hard-earned wisdom with narcissus novices everywhere.
When to plant daffodil bulbs
Now, Monty Don has already proven our lord and saviour when it comes to ripening our stubbornly still-green tomatoes. So, yes, it makes sense that he knows exactly when to plant daffodil bulbs: early September, obviously.
More importantly, though, our beloved Monty knows exactly how to plant them to ensure they survive the cold winter months, too.
'Spring bulbs are now on sale but the ground is often much too hard to plant them in grass at this stage of the year,' muses Monty Don in his popular gardening blog, 'so I always begin by planting some bulbs in pots.'
The horticulturalist goes on to explain that he looks out for smaller daffodil varieties at this time of year, such as the Tête-à-tête.
Why? Well, because these tend to 'flower a little earlier' than the larger flowers in your garden border, meaning they can be 'positioned to maximum effect next spring'.
Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête' |from £3.74 at Crocus
This delightful dwarf daffodil tends to bloom with deep golden-yellow flowers in March and April.
Keen to get started? Here's what you need to know.
What you will need
Before you begin planting daffodil bulbs, you should gather all of the tools you need to hand.
You will need:
Daffodil bulbs (again, we recommend the Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête')
An attractive pot, such as this terracotta bulb pot from Crocus
A bag of Peat-Free John Innes No. 2 mix
A bag of Westland Potting Grit
How to plant daffodils in pots
When it comes to planting daffodils in pots, the process is pretty simple – especially if you follow Monty Don's advice.
You will need to...
1. Fill your containers
Take your plant pot and fill it with peat-free potting compost. Be sure to 'mix your compost with some grit to make sure the drainage is good and the bulbs do not become waterlogged over winter,' adds Monty Don.
2. Plant them the right way up
That's right; forget figuring out when you should plant daffodil bulbs, and start focusing on which way round they should be.
Basically, the pointy end needs to be sticking upwards. Don't forget it, OK?
3. Huddle your bulbs together
Ideally, your bulbs will need to be around 10-15cm (between 4-6in) apart, but you can cluster them together more closely than you would in the ground.
In fact, leaving just 5cm between bulbs will make for a gorgeous spring display come next year.
4. Water them well
Be sure to give your bulbs a good watering to get them going, and leave them to their own devices: they should be watered well by the rain over the winter.
5. Pop them somewhere snug
'Place the planted daffodil pots in a sheltered position outdoors, ready to move into the sun when new growth appears,' advises Monty Don.
How to plant daffodils in garden borders
If you've spent all your time wondering when to plant daffodil bulbs, spare a thought for the method: if you decide to pop yours directly into the garden, then slightly different steps must be taken...
Again, though, you will be making like Green Day and planting your bulbs before September ends. So get to it!
1. Find them a nice spot to thrive in
'You're ideally looking for a spot in your garden that's usually warm and sunny in the spring months,' advises Christopher O'Donoghue of Gardens Revived.
'Make sure it has good drainage, too, as you don't want to overwater your daffs; drenching them and letting them sit wet will leave them vulnerable to disease.'
You can add some compost or mulch to the soil to improve drainage and add nutrients, but it's not a necessity.
2. Get digging
Dig a hole about 15cm (6in) deep. Or, if you prefer, you can 'dig a hole about three times the height of the bulb,' advises Christopher.
Make sure they're spaced about 7-15cm (3-6in) apart, depending on the variety.
3. And don't forget to give them a drink
Water your daffodil bulbs well to help remove air pockets in the soil and then... that's it. Leave them to their own devices!
'If you want, you can consider adding a layer of mulch over the top to help protect your daffs from the cold, especially if your garden is usually frosty and dry over the winter months,' says Christopher.
Overall, these should be relatively easy flowers to grow, even for complete novices. And trust us: they may take a little time, but those bright yellow blooms will be well worth the wait once spring rolls around.
What is the latest month to plant daffodil bulbs?
The best time to plant daffodil bulbs is September, as it will give your plants plenty of time to get established. However, you can plant bulbs right through until November if you must, and even as late as January – if you can break through that chilly soil and dig a hole deep enough to plant them, that is.
Can you leave daffodil bulbs in the ground all year?
Daffodil bulbs naturalise, which means that they can be left in the ground all year long.
Better still, they will bloom spring after spring after spring – and all while multiplying, too!
Can you leave daffodils in pots over winter?
You can absolutely leave daffodil bulbs in pots over winter, especially if you follow Monty Don's advice. However, if you bring them indoors during flowering, be sure to put them in a sheltered spot outside as soon as flowering is over.
