Yup. Me too, though my playing is nowhere near like your playing! I have bagged up all my bulbs that have been drying in the basement all summer in old onion bags, knocking off old stems and dirt, complete with tags and plant markers. My order is placed and the new bulbs will arrive in about another month. I am in the process of making a design plan for what I want where....and (this is the biggie) waiting for rain to come and soften the soil so I can dig, and cooler weather to cool the ground so the bulbs won't rot. We had an inch of rain last week after seven weeks of zero rain, and yesterday, temps fell into the eighties (heaven!). It's a start...

My order is placed and the new bulbs will arrive in about another month.
Oh Donna, what are you getting? Maybe I need it. Maybe we could trade yet...hint, hint, hint.

complete with tags and plant markers.
You are going to completely bury a marker with each clump, right? That is a sure fire way that the name will never get lost even if the above ground tag gets pulled up or something.

My spreadsheet will tell what area they are planted in and also where they are in the rows in the area. I'm also going to note on the above ground tag, the # of bulbs planted and the source...ie friend, GW trade, bulb vendor, swap table.

Sue

Mind sharing what kind of tag you use (above and below ground)?

I have many bulbs coming soon and am wondering how to keep track of them all! I did order some plant labels from paw paw Everlast label co. yesterday, but I already suspect 100 is going to be enough for everything I want to mark.

I'm new to zone 5 (moved here last Nov. from San Diego area) and while I am thrilled to be able to plant so many lovely spring blooming bulbs, I am a tad bit worried I've bitten off more than I can chew...what with the peonies I want to plant too!

Hi phlowerpower,

Welcome to zone 5 gardening.

Mind sharing what kind of tag you use (above and below ground)?
Ok, below ground, buried with the bulbs is a piece of a cut up plastic mini blind. You want to be sure and bury it in your zone (and mine) because with the winter freeze and thaws, it will come out of the ground if you don't. You can get the blinds new at Walmart for less than $4 and that will make a ton of them for marking things for years to come. I use them to label plants, bulbs and cuttings when I trade too.

The pic shows 4 markers.

The style on the far left is what I used initially, and found that the plates slip off of them. They need crimped with some pliers on the edges. I am 'over those'.

The one second from the left is the E-10 Rose Marker from Paw Paw Everlast. Well, I discovered they have very sharp corners on them, but in checking I see they now have rounded corners. $22.95 for 30.

The 2 on the right are from Eon Industries and the E-10 are 15.50 for 25 and the more you order, the cheaper they get.

I use a Brother P-Touch PT 1950 labeler. It uses tapes from 1/4" up to 3/4" and will print up to 4 lines.

Click on pics to make them bigger.

{{gwi:26068}}

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TMI?

what with the peonies I want to plant too
Have you read up on how to plant your peonies? They like sun, well drained soil, and most importantly, don't plant them too deep, or they will not bloom.

Sue

I use the vinyl mini blinds too. There's nothing cheaper or longer lasting that I have found. I have a Brother P-Touch label maker. I buy a vinyl tape for it that is indoor/outdoor grade and put that on the vinyl blind markers, burying the NAME part, but leaving an empty end sticking up so I can find them. I bury because sun will cause alot of labels to fade, although I have not had this problem with the P-touch labels.

chemocurl, I have ordered "Sweeties" and "Trevithians" from Old House Gardens, in addition to clusiana Tulips and Sternbergia lutea. My first love in bulbs is old southern heirlooms.

I have a Brother P-Touch label maker. I buy a vinyl tape for it that is indoor/outdoor grade
I have never bothered with getting the special outdoor grade tapes and have found the 'regular' tapes to be just fine. Since I use a 'lot' of tape, I watch ebay to get what I can in the 3/4" in either clear or white tape with black letters.

burying the NAME part, but leaving an empty end sticking up so I can find them.
I know you are in a considerably warmer zone, but am surprised that you don't have some freeze and thaw and heaving of the tags if any of the tag is left above ground.

One year I marked a bunch of individual iris rhizomes in a row with just the mini blind markers (dumb me) stuck in the ground. Well, after the spring thaw and a 'lot' of heavy snow melted off, the markers were everywhere. My puppy dogs 'might' have added to the problem too, not sure.

I have ordered "Sweeties" and "Trevithians" from Old House Gardens, in addition to clusiana Tulips and Sternbergia lutea. My first love in bulbs is old southern heirlooms.
Nice!

Sue

Thanks so much for the detailed information. :)

One question:
Do you find that metal plant markers with ~10 inch long metal wire going into the ground move much during the spring thaw and freeze period?

Yesterday I helped a friend divide some of her peonies, and I happily brought a few home. Unfortunately I have a heavy clay soil, so I am a bit worried about drainage. I did dig a large hole and ammend with compost. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Do you find that metal plant markers with ~10 inch long metal wire going into the ground move much during the spring thaw and freeze period?
They do heave out some, but never entirely out of the ground. Often on nicer winter days when I'm out looking at the beds, I will push them back down.

Yesterday I helped a friend divide some of her peonies, and I happily brought a few home.
That's great!

I too have clay(ish) soil, but it drains fine. If you are planning on mulching the peonies a bit, count the mulch as a covering, just as you would soil, so the eyes won't be too deep. If I remember correctly, the eyes on mine are usually exposed for the most part, all winter as they are usually formed late in the fall. Peonies are pretty rugged.

Sue

To my knowledge I have never experienced winter heaving here. Last year is the first winter in my memory that the ground actually "froze". My pots on the deck were crusty/icy for about two weeks in January. I lost alot of things that had been out there for years. This year, all my pots are going to be buried in the veggie garden for extra insulation. I doubt the ground was actually frozen in my beds as I am diligent with the mulch.

None of this 'hard labour' talk, thanks! I'm watching the seed pods fatten and ripen.

I'm also wondering just what the tulips have been up to. There are variants... Interesting and pretty, but very different from their ancestors in my garden.

Otherwise - I am awaiting the arrival of N poeticus and its variations in the garden because I am sooo fond of that combination of colours in daffs.

Paeonies - feed over summer. Greedy little feeders. And a splash of dolomite.

And I'm posting here because I 'should' be outside repotting the Rhodohypoxis-es. Lots of little fiddlies. Sigh. I'll be good. The tuberous begonias are next.

Long plant labels - never mind the frost heave: I have Olympic Games level blackbirds that are undeterred by anything shorter than six inches. (I use old metal venetian blind strips and an HB pencil which survives the weather for up to three years. Might not do so well with heavy frost and snow, but does laugh at relentless rain.)

I was patting myself on the back for actually planting the packages of crocus I bought a month ago until I read this post. Wow.

I have voles or moles so I plant daffodils when ever I can get my hands on them. This is my third growing season at this house and the first year the pests got fat on all my crocuses. I'm determined to deter the little menesis. So far I have a boarder of daffodils around one flower bed and two bulb plantings with daffodils mixed with tulips and crocuses and I'm hoping for the best. I won't mention how much money I've lost because of those pests.

Otherwise - I am awaiting the arrival of N poeticus and its variations in the garden because I am sooo fond of that combination of colours in daffs.
Are your daffs winding down there? Did I miss your pics? hint, hint...

I was patting myself on the back for actually planting the packages of crocus I bought a month ago until I read this post.
In my opinion, planting soon, or even a bit early is a lot better (for me anyway) than waiting until the last minute, and then stressing over them, wondering if they will root in before the ground freezes up for the winter. I 'imagine' a few other procrastinators will back me up on that one.

So far I have a boarder of daffodils around one flower bed and two bulb plantings with daffodils mixed with tulips and crocuses and I'm hoping for the best.
That sounds like a great plan and one I was not familiar with. I'll be interested in hearing how it works out for you. Good Luck!

Well I've been working on some below ground tags this AM along with logging some newly acquired daffs to a Google Document List and then to a Google Spreadsheet that will list a lot more info....ie Division/color, bloom time, height, location of where it gets planted, etc. In time I hope to complete the Google list, with those cultivars I acquired in past years so I will have a Master List of all of them. I plan to do the same then too with a Google Spreadsheet.

Saturdays Daff Meeting yielded 33 new (to me) cultivars from the Society, the swap table, and from my local enabling friend. It was a very good day!

I'm still waiting for 2 orders to come in as well as some trades, and then there is Midwest Regional ADS meeting Oct 23rd and the swap table there. Whoo-Hoo!

It is sprinkling here now and is the first precipitation we have had in a very long while. Hopefully we will get enough rain that I can start to plant here soon. Right now the soil is like concrete.

Sue

you are way ahead of me. I only dug a few bulbs this year and have not received any of the bulbs I have ordered. I have been to two of the garden centers where I usually buy bulbs and neither of them have any varieties that I am not currently growing. I did find Gazelle at a big box store and purchased them just to temporarily ease my cravings. I am currently in The Netherlands and will be attending the national bulb sale in a few days. Unfortunately I will not be able to purchase them because they will not have the certificate required to bring them back to the states. It will be torture. My daffodil society bulb swap and lily society bulb swap are both next weekend.
Kathy

Goodness Kathy,

What on earth are you doing there at this time of year? That would indeed be torture not being able to buy to bring home. Why not just purchase a certificate and go nuts buying some real goodies?

I've been meaning to write you and let you know the total damages on the 14 requested cultivars from The IDS. I also have an Olathe bulb for you too....and hopefully some other things you need.

When I ordered my daffs from The WDS, I specified that you would be picking them up at the fall meeting, OK?

Have fun! I'll drop you an email with what all I bought
for you and see how you want to do the postage.

Sue

I am here for work. I have been here in the spring and it is absolutely breathtaking. It is pretty this time of the year too. I pass fields of blooming dahlias, cannas, and glads on my way to work everyday. I looked into getting certified bulbs and it would be very expensive and require purchasing bulbs in a large quantity. There will be certified bulbs for sale at the airport, but I doubt I will find any that I need. I will be picking up your order at the WDS meeting a week from Saturday. And I anxiously await news of what delights you were able to score for me.

I am here for work. I have been here in the spring and it is absolutely breathtaking.
I imagine so, and lucky you!

There will be certified bulbs for sale at the airport, but I doubt I will find any that I need.
hmmm...I would think that those daffodils that are 'commonly' grown in The Netherlands would be different than those most commonly grown here. I'd have to check them all out for sure, if time and $$$ allowed.

The 22 ordered from WDS will put me at about 200 new cultivars so far for the year, with others still be be received yet.

Sue

I have tried even planting daffodils in the same HOLE as the crocuses and tulips, and it didnâÂÂt work. The critters can dig, and the critters can throw. I found the daffodils just tossed aside on top of the ground. Plus, the bulbs were sprayed with hot pepper.

The ONLY thing I have found that works, is to pin a section of wire mesh on top of the bulbs, using landscape staples. I have done that the last 2 years with crocuses and tulips. Remove the wire mesh in the spring before leaves get too high. I used two rolls of coated mesh, and cut it up into rectangles. It is reusable.

My goodness Sue, 200 MORE varieties this year!?!?!?!? I am not adding many varieties at all this year. I have not added much new garden space and I was already running out of room. I have seen the selection at the airport and most did not have any names on them at all.

If you run into a cultivar in any of your sources named "Engagement Ring", I would love it if you could score it for me. It WOWED me at the national show I attended a few years ago and it has been elusive. There was one bag of them at the bulb swap I attended last year. But someone beat me to it even though I hid it behind a bunch of very common varieties. Is there a cultivar which has eluded you?

I had some issues with moles and voles in recent history and got myself a cat. She is a great hunter. I give her so much praise when she brings me her treasure.

Kathy

Hi Linnea,

Since it is daff planting time I was thinking about you and wondering if you had maybe started planting yet. It's good to know that the coated wire mesh has worked well for you.

I have not added much new garden space and I was already running out of room.
I haven't added much either and need to be getting things lined out (rows) to see just where I am going with all of these. I helped 2 different collectors dig bulbs this year, and saw what happens when things are planted too close together (one clump grows into the next clump), so I want to be sure and give each cultivar plenty of grow room.

If you run into a cultivar in any of your sources named "Engagement Ring", I would love it if you could score it for me.
I thought that name sounded familiar to me and just checked and it was shared with me by one of the collectors mentioned above. If you don't find it for sale next year, I can share it with you after a season or two. I will keep a good eye out for it on swap table next Sat too.

Do you belong to Daffnet?....-the forum for ADS members. If so, you could probably find a source by asking there. I'm going to start a thread later about sources for various bulbs and will list some of the Specialty Growers as well as General Bulb Merchants for daffodils.

That's great that your cat is such a good hunter. I know a lot of them don't hunt for some reason...maybe not praised enough?

Sue

Should I dig up my plantings and put down the wire cage and then replant in it? Or should I just hope for the best this year?

I'm amazed at all the bulb digging...lol. I sort of view my bulbs as one of the lowest maintenance plants in the garden. Very happy to plant and forget. I do have a small property though and not a lot of room to plant more.

I have decided to not let a fall go by without adding some bulbs. I didn't have a lot of time this year, so I bought 12 daff bulbs and 2 bags of 15 crocus bulbs and that was it. I was also patting myself on the back that we have those planted already. [g]

I also don't use tags, which may be a problem at some point. I keep a list of varieties and where they are planted. I hope that is going to be good enough. If I had as many different varieties as chemocurl, I would definitely think it necessary to tag them.

I hope you will be posting lots of photos next spring!

Hi tkhooper,

Should I dig up my plantings and put down the wire cage and then replant in it? Or should I just hope for the best this year?
What did you plant and when did you plant it? I'm thinking it might be a bit early for spring bulbs to be planted in your zone 8. The soil temps cooled here a week or so ago, so it is now the 'right' time to be starting to plant daffs.

I sort of view my bulbs as one of the lowest maintenance plants in the garden.
Me too, but am told by those that grow daffs to show, that they should be on a 3 year schedule, with 1/3 of them being dug every 3 years.....big sigh....more about that another time.

I have decided to not let a fall go by without adding some bulbs.
That's great. I think everyone should have a few new things each spring.

I hope you will be posting lots of photos next spring!
I hope so too and will certainly try to. Spring bloom time is so busy, what with daff shows to attend and enter, blooms to get verified if they came from less reliable sources, pics to be taken and then names put on the pics once they are in the computer, and then that is also prime time to be digging out the awful Star of Bethlehem bulbs that have the soil infested...but that too is another story for another time.

Is the reason for digging to keep them blooming? I try to buy daffodil bulbs with the idea that they will naturalize. For instance, 'Ice Follies' seems to just keep blooming more and more every year. I did dig some of those out to move to a new location, just because I wanted to increase them. On the other hand, 'Mount Hood' still has the original patch I planted with fewer and fewer blooms. The crocus I planted over 15 years ago, comes up bigger and better every year without touching them.

Well, if spring doesn't work for photos, maybe in the summer when things slow down. Thanks for the information and inspiration. :-)

Is the reason for digging to keep them blooming?
This Sat I will be with a bunch of folks who grow daffs to show and will try to remember to ask about the 3 year digging rotation schedule that so many try to follow. If I remember correctly, it had to do with them needing to be lifted/dug so the surrounding soil in the holes could be amended. Over time, the blooms, of some cultivars anyway, will decrease in size if they do not have proper nutrients. I'm not sure, but lack of good nutrients 'could' also affect the bloom color. Don't hold me to that though as I will try to verify that.

Usually too, when daffs are planted for growing and showing, I 'think' no more than 3 bulbs are planted, spaced out in a hole. That allows the bulbs to multiply without becoming crowded, thus smaller bulbs, and smaller blooms, or no blooms at all if they are entirely too crowded.

Some daffs are a lot more prolific than others and seem to multiply a 'lot' more than others. In my opinion, Ice Follies is a great prolific daff.

On the other hand, 'Mount Hood' still has the original patch I planted with fewer and fewer blooms.
I wonder if they are crowded or if they are lacking nutrients. Some cultivars are just by nature bigger bulbs, so it could possibly be that they are crowded, regardless of how many were planted in each hole and how they were spaced. Do you plan to dig them next year?

I'm not suggesting that diggings one's daffs every 3 years is for everyone, because I don't see it as necessary at all, unless one is considering entering them in competition. As far as the FAQ go, I feel they are to be geared toward the casual gardener, growing daffs, or whatever for their own enjoyment in their gardens.

Sue

I would like to dig Mount Hood and increase it, and I hope to get to it next year. It is one of those optional chores that keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list though. I do like that particular flower. It is a nice large white that lasts a long time in the garden. I don't plan on showing daffodils at any point. Although last year I bought some cultivars from David Burdick in my home state of Massachusetts. I believe some of them would be good for show, but also perform in the garden. I am eager to see how they do next year, their second year in the ground. They are also supposed to be well suited to my particular conditions.

This is my first time on this forum. There is so much info here. I love the daffs in the spring but have very few that I know by name. I plan to check back here often to learn as much as I can.

Sue Ellen

Hi lilyday/ Sue Ellen,

Welcome to The Bulb Forum. Over the next several months we will be reworking the FAQ for the forum, so there will be a lot of discussion about daffodils and the other bulbs most commonly discussed here. Feel free to join in. We might even be able to assist with getting some names on some of your NO ID (no identification) daffodils next spring, or even now, if you happen to have pics of them.

Holler if you need help posting pics...

I am addicted to collecting, growing, and showing daffodils, and there is no help for me.

Sue

Well today was a great time at the ADS Midwest Regional Fall Meeting. I think a really good time was had by all. We had good speakers, great pitch-in food, and the swap table yielded about 20 new cultivars and a nice potted perennial.

It was a 4 1/2 hour drive, one way, but so worth it. I'm really bushed.

PM2,
I ordered bulbs for the first time this year from Dave Burdick and am anxiously waiting with bated breath to hear when they will ship...not like I don't have plenty to plant though before that order arrives.

Sue

Chemocurl, when is the latest in the fall that you usually plant daffs/narcissus? I am in a colder zone than you are, zone 4 (maybe 5) USDA. Here, I probably wouldn't plant them much beyond the end of October. Tulips, yes, but not daffs.

Chemocurl, when is the latest in the fall that you usually plant daffs/narcissus?

This daff craziness started in fall 2008, so I have had lots to get planted and I'm thinking finished up sometime early Dec. It might have been a bit late, but I don't recall any bulbs not making it due to not being able to put down their roots before the soil around them froze. By mid-late Nov would probably be best here in my zone/area.

Sue

I am so proud that for once, I am right on schedule, or even slightly ahead this year. I dug, divided, and replanted a row of fourteen daylilies in my front half circle bed that yielded more than 200 fans to share with friends! (three years since last time.) Then I spent a morning replanting the surrounding area with daffodils I had dug and divided in the spring. I guess about 150 went into that bed. Late last week, I got my order from Old House Gardens, so I added Trevithan and Maximus to two smaller beds at my front door.

I was so pleased with this order! Big fat bulbs with lots of offsets. I ordered "three" Maximus only, but with the offsets, I ended up with nine! I am looking forward to seeing this extra early variety next spring.

This week, I will try to finish planting the two to three hundred divisions from last spring. They are mostly Avalanche, Ice Follies, and two prolific late blooming jonquils. One is called Tripartite, and it is lovely: a "butterfly" variety in a clear yellow. The jonquils had multiplied prodigiously. I am setting them a bit deeper this time.

Hopefully, by the first week of November, our record breaking fall heat will break and I can then begin to plant the 22 flats of pansies that are in my basement. These, with the bulbs, and a row of Larkspur in the back should make a glorious show come spring.

chemocurl, I am getting ready to order more bulbs for fall and I did a search trying to find some recommended varieties to try and this thread popped up. I see that you ordered from Dave Burdick too and I wondered how the bulbs you received did?

I have to say I was very disappointed with how mine performed. It's three year's later and if I have 10 flowers from those bulbs in the spring, I would say that is being generous. Even Bantam that he suggested would be a good naturalizer has barely come back the same every season, let alone, increased. My Ice Follies and Ceylon continue to come back better than ever every year that I've had for years. So I won't be buying from him again. Maybe you did better?

I haven't decided what to get yet, but I want to get my order in soon. Looking at Van Engelen at the moment.

mine are in a clay pot rooting all over each other. most of them anyway. i think they signal to each other and the hormone from one plant helps the other somehow. i have no idea, i do the same close planting with tulips. i have found the daffodils i have, mulit color variety, like dry to root and cycles of moist to dry. i have to learn and i know this bulb or rhizome is too close to the surface, and a little too damp. however it is kept a little chilly. I can only show a couple roots. here is a pic. there is a rock also in the photo.