"Narcissus"    

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Growing Daffodils and Narcissus Indoors

Daffodil and Narcissus Bulbs can be grown in pots for flowering indoors, but need to undergo a cold period for 14 to 16 weeks before they will bloom. You need to choose a variety of Narcissus suitable for forcing. Use a pot with a drainage hole. Half fill with a good quality potting soil, place your Daffodil bulbs close together, top up the pot with the soil, and water in well.

The pot then must be kept below 50 deg F (10 deg C) in a cool, dark place for 14 to 16 weeks. Keep your Narcissus bulbs at a temperature between 35-48 deg F (2-9 deg C) - above freezing point. Water regularly as needed.

When each Daffodil bulb starts to grow, bring the pot inside into a sunny place at a temperature of 60-70 deg F (15-21 deg C). Growth up to flowering is now rapid. Cooler night temperatures will make the flower last longer. You can plant up a number of pots and bring them inside at one week intervals to provide a succession of flowers. Once flowering is finished your Narcissus bulbs can be replanted in the garden. You cannot use them for forcing again.

A prepared Paperwhite Narcissus bulb can be easily grown indoors. Plant 4 or 5 bulbs in a 6 inch (15 cm) pot or 7 bulbs in an 8 inch (20 cm) pot. Keep the soil moist but not sodden. Do not let the bulbs dry out. Put your Paperwhite bulbs into a dark place for a week or two until they start to grow. Then move into direct sunlight for flowering. In cooler temperatures the flowers will last longer.

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Growing Daffodils and Narcissus       Outdoors

Daffodil and Narcissus bulbs are easy to grow outdoors and will flower freely year after year with little care. They make a fine display in perennial borders, amongst shrubs, in woodland settings, in grassy areas, or in outdoor containers. Daffodils naturalize well in the garden. Low-growing Daffodils are ideal for rock gardens, beds, window boxes and pots. Evergreen foliage makes an admirable background for a display of Narcissus flowers.

The Daffodil bulb, foliage and flowers contain poisonous alkaloids which makes them deer and rodent resistant.

Daffodils need a well-drained soil in a sunny to lightly shaded position. They prefer a medium loam. In too wet a soil a Daffodil bulb will flower poorly and be liable to rot, especially in a place that remains too moist during the summer.

Narcissus bulbs are planted in the fall - from late August to October. The earlier the better, as this encourages a sturdier root system to form before cold weather sets in, and better flowering. Plant larger bulbs with the neck 4-5 inches (10-12.5 cm) below the soil surface, and smaller bulbs with the neck 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) below the surface. When planting daffodil bulbs they are better for being deeper rather than too shallow. Space your bulbs 2 - 6 inches (5-15 cm) apart depending on the size of the Daffodil bulb.

To make a good show, you should be planting your Daffodil bulbs in dozens, or even hundreds, of bulbs in one area. They should be planted irregularly at random spacings, and not in regular rows or groups. On a smaller scale groups of three to a dozen bulbs of one variety give the best effect.

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You can dig in a general fertilizer (like 5-10-5), or a specialized bulb formula. This can be scattered over the soil surface after planting. But this is not essential. Do not sprinkle fertilizer directly into the planting hole, for this can kill newly emerging roots and promote rot. Organic fertilizer such as bonemeal can attract rodents.

Established plantings will benefit from a complete slow-release fertilizer applied in the fall. Also, fertilizer (5-5-5 or similar) can be applied in spring, when the plants appear above ground, to encourage strong bulb development.

After flowering, it is important to leave the foliage of each daffodil bulb to go yellow and die back before removing. They may need watering if it is very dry. The plant is replenishing its food reserves for next year's flower production. The leaves make the food that is then stored in the Narcissus bulb, and, if the leaves are cut off too soon, it will result in poor flowering the following year.

Also, tying the leaves together restricts the amount of light they receive, and so reduces food production for the Daffodil bulb. Dead flower heads should be promptly cut off to stop food reserves going into producing seed. In borders the old Narcissus foliage can be partially hidden by growing annuals or plants the same height in front of your Daffodils.

Eventually, after 3-5 years, your bulbs will become overcrowded, with reduced flowering and smaller flowers. It is now time to dig up and split your Narcissus bulb clumps. This is best done in spring when the foliage is brown and still present, so that you can still see where the bulbs are. Remove all the loose soil, and allow the bulbs to dry in shallow trays, or mesh sacks where there is good air circulation for drying off. When dry, the clumps can be split up. Remove the old, dried skins and roots.

Leave your bulbs in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place until planting time in the fall. Alternatively, you can replant after the clumps have been split up.

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Types of Narcissus

The genus Narcissus has more than 70 species and thousands of cultivars. It is divided into distinct divisions by flower type. The 12 divisions are shown below:-

Div. 1) Trumpet narcissus usually on a single-flowered stem. The corolla (middle) can be cup-shaped or trumpet-shaped, and can be longer than the surrounding petals (trumpet), or the same size (cup). Early to late spring flowering. The height is 12-18 inches (30-45 cm). The traditional Daffodil is yellow in color - such as 'King Alfred'. 'Beersheba' is white and 'Newcastle' is a bicolor'.

Div. 2) Large-Cupped Narcissus - single-flowered stem. The cup is more than one third the length of the petals but less than the full length. Spring flowering. Height is 12-24 inches (30-60 cm). Can be entirely yellow (such as 'Carlton'), white (such as 'Silver Lining'), or bicolor (such as 'Fortune').

Div. 3) Small-Cupped Narcissus - often a single-flowered stem. The cup is less than one third the length of the petals. Spring or early summer flowering. Height is 12-18 inches (30-45 cm). Can be white (such as 'Frigid'), or bicolor (such as 'La Riante' and 'Mahmoud').

Div. 4) Double Narcissus - single-flowered or multi-flowered stem. Most have large, solitary, fully or semi-double flowers, rarely scented, with the cup or trumpet replaced by extra petals. There is more than one ring of petals in the cup, or the perianth, or both. They make fine cut flowers. Some have smaller flowers, produced in clusters of 4 or more, which are often sweetly fragrant. Flowering in spring and early summer. Height is 12-18 inches (30-45 cm). Can be entirely yellow (such as 'Golden Ducat'), white (such as 'Snowball'), or bicolor (such as 'Texas').

Div. 5) Triandrus Narcissus bears drooping flowers with short, sometimes straight-sided cups, and narrow, reflexed petals. Usually 2 to 6 flowers per stem. Spring flowering. Height is 6-18 inches (15-45 cm). Can be yellow (such as 'Liberty'), white (such as 'Thalia'), or bicolor (such as 'Dawn').

Div. 6) Cyclamineus Narcissus has drooping flowers with long trumpets, sometimes flanged. The petals are narrow, pointed and strongly reflexed. There are one or two flowers per stem. Early to mid-spring flowering. Height is 6-12 inches (15-30 cm). Usually yellow (such as 'Peeping Tom'), or bicolor (such as 'Tete-a-Tete').

Div. 7) Jonquilla Narcissus (Jonquil) carries several, sweetly fragrant flowers per stem, with petals longer than the cup. The short cup is sometimes flanged. The petals are often flat, fairly broad, and rounded . Spring flowering. Height is 6-12 inches (15-30 cm). Usually yellow (such as 'Golden Sceptre'), or bicolor (such as 'Bobbysoxer').

Div. 8) The Tazetta Narcissus plant bears up to 20 small flowers per stem, and is very fragrant. Large flowered cultivars have 3 or 4 flowers per stem. All have a small, often straight-sided cup and broad, mostly pointed petals. The cup is shorter than the petals, which may be frilled. You have to give this Narcissus care for it is not frost hardy, and generally too tender for growing outdoors in most areas. Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs fall into this group. Flowering from late autumn to mid spring according to variety. Height is 18 inches (45 cm). Can be yellow (such as 'Soleil d'Or'), white (such as 'Paper White' or 'Ziva'), or bicolor (such as 'Geranium').

Div. 9) Poeticus Narcissus has a small, colored cup with a frilled edge, and glistening, white petals . One, or sometimes two, sweetly fragrant flowers are borne per stem. Many Poeticus hybrids are categorized as division 3 or 8. Flowering in late spring and early summer. Height is 18 inches (45 cm). Can have a yellow cup (such as 'Actaea'), or a red cup (such as 'Pheasant's Eye').

Div. 10) Wild Species. These are other Narcissi in various species. Usually solitary flowers varying from diminutive, Hoop-Petticoat Daffodils, with funnel-shaped, flanged cups, to stately trumpet daffodils. Flowering from early autumn to early summer according to species. This group includes the Hoop-Petticoat Daffodil (Narcissus bulbocodium), Angel's Tears (N. triandrus), N. minimus (= N. asturiensis), and N. cyclamineus.

Div. 11) Split-cupped Narcissus. Usually solitary flowers each having a cup that is typically split for more than half its length. The number of splits varies. The segment edges of the cup are bent back onto the petals and may be ruffled. Flowers in spring. (such as N. 'Cassata' - with primrose cup and white petals).

Div. 12) Miscellaneous Narcissi. This category contains hybrids with varying, intermediate flower shapes between the other divisions. Hybrids of hoop-Petticoat species also belong here. Flowering from autumn to spring according to species.

In addition, daffodils are classified as to when they bloom, either early, mid-season or late-season. You can extend the blooming season by having a succession of flowers selected from each type.

There is a good source of top quality Daffodil bulbs here for you. Please click on best quality Daffodil bulbs.

There is more Narcissus information available. Please check out the links on the left at the top of the page. Click here for more Narcissus Information.

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