Daffodils are an unmistakable indicator that spring has begun. With their flowering period running from February through to May, the blooming season is rapidly drawing to a close, and they can start to appear scruffy once they've stopped flowering. While it might be appealing to cut them back immediately after flowering finishes, gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh urged against doing this.
When to Cut Daffodils
Rather, Alan suggests waiting six weeks initially before removing the wilted flowers. Following this six-week period, gardeners can trim them right down to ground level, which will help them appear far tidier.
Feeding for Future Blooms
The expert also revealed a straightforward method to "guarantee" that daffodils will bloom next year: feed them. In a YouTube video with Waitrose & Partners, he said: "One thing you can do to give them an extra helping hand is to feed them. I'm an organic gardener and blood, fish and bone for me is the fertiliser of choice. It contains the three main plant nutrients - nitrogen, phosphates and potash."
Alan explained that nourishing daffodils with one or two handfuls of blood, fish and bone fertiliser should ensure the plant produces more blooms the following year, reports the Express. He added: "The combination of taking off those seed heads, allowing the sun to photosynthesise through the leaves and stalks and feeding the bulbs, and bunging a bit of fertiliser around them will guarantee you flowers next year."
Dealing with Blindness
Should you discover daffodils producing foliage without any flowers, they may be experiencing "blindness". This can result from insufficient space, excessive shade or substandard soil quality. Should this occur, simply lift them in autumn and relocate them to another area of the garden. Make sure to ensure they have the proper growing conditions. That said, it could take a few years before the plant blooms again.
