Very Special Daffodills That Stopped Blooming

18 years ago

I have a large pot full of daffodills that bloomed the first year I planted them but that didn't bloom in the two springs after that. They came up and were loaded with healthy looking leaves (is that what daffodill greens are called?) but no flowers. Is there something I can do to assure that I will have blooms next spring? Please don't say start over with new bulbs. These are very special bulbs that my dad dug up from an old homestead. My dad died this last February---while digging more bulbs on that same homestead!!! So this pot of daffodills has tremendous sentimental value for me. TIA

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Comments (6)

pitimpinai
18 years ago
Try adding a lot of organic fertilizer this fall and in spring when new leaves emerge. If they still don't bloom, you might have to divide them and plant them in other pots or in the ground. Make sure to give them a lot of organic fertilizer.

I suspect that they have grown too crowded in the pot.
Good luck.
ljrmiller
18 years ago
I'm thinking the bulbs got too crowded. In that case, dump the pot out, re-plant about one third of the bulbs. Choose the largest bulbs to re-plant. Plant the rest in your garden and eventually you will be able to enjoy them all over the place.
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I have a book on bulbs here and it says that the most prolific of daffodils needs to be divided every five to six years. Some daffs are slower to increase, in which case you can also just divide them every decade or so. I grow Mount Hood, this is the second year they will bloom and already the flowers on each bulb have tripled and there are bulbils in sight as well. I might have to divide mine every four years... I guess it is best that you keep a journal for your daffs and monitor closely how much they increase each year. If you have trouble seeing how more new growth could come up in the limited space between this year's growth, that would be a sign that it is time to divide. I can't find the bit about when to divide these, but I gather all bulbs are best divided during dormancy, which would mean any time between the moment the leaves fall off and the moment the ground freezes, although I think earlier is better. I think that fall is a bad idea because by then, the plant may have grown more roots that reach deeper, and it will be that much harder to lift them, plus the new root growth would be wasted and it wouldn't have enough time to regenerate properly by next spring. But this is just my admittedly not perfect logic speaking. I would try to do it as soon as the leaves fall off. That way, you do it before new growth starts but after the plant is done producing for the current year. It would then be about to start using its gathered reserves to grow new roots, so your newly transplanted daff would be nicely nestled into place by the time spring comes.
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Albert, Donna has given you a great amount of detail about how to get your bulbs to rebloom. I'm not sure what you were asking. I thought you wanted to know what would happen if you did nothing....and so, if you do nothing, they will continue to grow and eventually rebloom on their own schedule as long as the bulb has stored enough nutrients to support the fomation of the scape and blooms within the bulb. Funny, stressed plants tend to bloom as a last procreative resort, which is why the dormancy period (withholding watering and cooler temperatures) is so effective at "forcing" a bloom. Most of us grow the bulbs for their blooms, not for their foliage, so you most likely won't find many answers for "What happens if I don't do anything"...other than what is already in your thread....they will just grow...and they might bloom. Most often the question is "What do I need to do to get my bulbs to bloom again, and as you can see from Donna's reply, there is a schedule to it. Are you fertilizing the plants? A general practice is to use half-strength Miracle Gro at least every other watering. The bulbs typically have to have grown to at least 8 leaves before they are considered blooming size. The bulbs that you bought had been "primed" for blooming, only needing water and warmth to bloom. Some only need warmth, as we see to many bulbs blooming in their boxes at L and HD! Some of us have been growing Hippeastrum/amaryllis for decades, most have been growing them for at least several years...the FAQ is a nice assembly of actual responses from the list over the years. Your Lowe's sale bulbs should be very happy in the room that you have described, growing and growing. The natural blooming cycle in your zones may be later in the spring. If you'll post a general location for where you live, at least what state, others on the map near you (the Sunset zone 2-3 cover many states) may be able to provide additional info depending on what your goal is for the bulbs (reblooming?). K
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cbarkston
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank you both so much. I think you're both right---I do believe they are quite crammed and crowded into that pot. I love the idea of dividing them and spreading them all over my yard as a memorial to my dad. They'll bloom next year right about the time he died this year. (I'll be sure to fertilize them well, too.) And yesterday, my sister passed along to me some of the actual bulbs he was digging when he died so I'll be planting those in a very, very special place. Probably right near my front door!!!
macnang
18 years ago
My mom has a bed of daffodills that are getting overcrowded and seem to have fewer blooms each year. I am planning to dig some and replant them at my house this fall. Any suggestions about the best way to do this? (Should I dig out every third plant so they are thinned out, or dig out a clump and separate some of the bulbs?)
pitimpinai
18 years ago
Either way will be fine, but it wll be much easier to dig up a clump and separate them. Replant them 6" apart or more to give them room. Add organic fertilizer to the planting hole. Expect a few years for the smaller bulbs to bloom. But they'll be healthy and gorgeous.

Have fun. :-)
beetleman
18 years ago
Watch it with the organic fertilizer- too much nitrogen causes the bulbs to rot. Overcrowded daffodils can be encouraged to bloom well if you have very good drainage. Add about 1/10 t0 1/20 the recommended amount of a low nitrogen complete fertilizer to water and give them one to two inches a week from november until the flowers fade- but do not keep them wet- they need very good drainage

Very Special Daffodills That Stopped Blooming

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pitimpinai

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Very Special Daffodills That Stopped Blooming

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pitimpinai

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cbarkston
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