skip to main content

Virginia Gardening

My Daffodils don't look as good as other years!

15 years ago

I'm wondering if other people in central Virginia are noticing their Daffodils aren't as beautiful this year. The flowers seem smaller in size; the tips of the leaves are dry; and the necks of some flower stems are bent down.

I think the tips of the leaves looking crispy might come from being singed or burnt by heavy frosts. And too I'm wondering if the lack of moisture this winter and spring has affected them. Anyone else out there noticed this? I have some Daffs that are later blooming and will see if they will exhibit the same problems.

Makes me wonder if I need to water the bulbs during periods when there's no rain. Never thought of that before . . .

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

nylisa
15 years ago
I only have a handful of flowers, which surprised me, and I am racking my brain to remember if I fertilized last year...
summerstar
Original Author
15 years ago
Nylisa, do you mean you were surprised that only a handful of flowers came up from your Daffodils and you usually have more blooms? I didn't fertilize my Daffodils since I planted them three years ago and used Espoma's Bulb Tone then. I don't think you ABSOLUTELY have to fertilize EVERY year. I personally think it was the very cold temps and lack of rain . . . but I'm waiting to see other replies here.

Happy gardening!
Related Discussions
My maple don't look so good!
Q
Comments (1)
As you have said yourself, a likely candidate is drought injury. Local Cooperative Extension office may be able to assist.
...See More
new at this... plants don't look good!
Q
Comments (5)
How often are you watering? A droopy tomato is usually underwatered. The squash and cukes are susceptible to insect and fungal poests, but I wouldn't look to that only a week after planting. The compost portion of the mix is fine. You did it just fine. Unfortunately I really don't have a good idea what is going on with your squash/cukes, hopefully they pick up soon. If not you still have time to get some plants from the store to replace them. Sometimes stuff just happens, ya know? Try, try and try again ;-) As far as insecticide, I would encourage you to never use it unless you know specifically what the pest is and then choose the most targeted, least toxic approach to management. Often this means a light weight row cover rather than a spray of anything. AS time goes on you will come to know what plants have the most pest problem in your garden as well as the time of year or stage of the plant when they get attacked. Covering them during this time frame where practical eliminates a lot of problems. Choosing varieties less prone to the pest is also an option is some cases. Just give it time, I know you want it all to work out this year, but this is gardening. It never *all* works out in any given year ;-) There is always the disease, the pest, the critter, the evil garden hose jumping onto a plant, the dog that runs over a bed, the pulled weed that wasn't really a weed. Always something. The failures you have will teach you far more about gardening than your successes. It may not seem that way when you lose a plant to unknown causes, but over time pieces of the puzzle get put together. A failure involves investigation, trials and errors. A success is simply repeated each year with no new knowledge being gained. So, relax and enjoy. If you can post a pic or two of your most afflicted plants perhaps someone can offer more specific advice as to that specific problem, otherwise just go grab a few replacements from the store now and keep them on 'stand by' in case they are needed.
...See More
Help. My first year of raised bed tomatoes and they don't look so good
Q
Comments (5)
They are planted in a new bed built last fall and filled with top soil that was recommended to us for vegetable gardening beds. We let that settle through the winter and in the spring we tilled it and topped it off with garden top soil. I did not add additional fertilizer as the garden top soil mix had fertilizer in it. If the other two tomato plants in the bed don't look as yellow-green and do not have the black spots with yellow halos, could the problem still be specific to the soil or watering in general? I'm wondering if these two plants I bought were simply not healthy to begin with (they're both from one nursery and the others are from two other nurseries). Also, in terms of putting fertilizer on the soil - do you mean something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Jobes-09026-Vegetable-Granular-Fertilizer/dp/B002YOJDAS/ Thank you SO much for your help!
...See More
My peonys don't look good
Q
Comments (1)
I have several that look like that this year from all of the rain we've had. As long as the leaves don't curl up and there is no moldy looking areas on the stems your peony will be okay. If the spots/browning areas on the leaves bother you a lot you can cut the plant back early but it shouldn't be necessary.
...See More
gardener_sandy
15 years ago
When daffodils get crowded after a few years in the same place without being divided, the bloom production will be much less. They're competing for the nutrients available and can't find enough to make those beautiful blooms. Also, if you cut back the foliage before it browned on its own last spring, they couldn't make enough food for the bulbs to store to produce blooms this spring.

The tip burn you see is most likely from a hard freeze after they came up. It won't kill them but makes them look not so nice. And yes, they will benefit from a watering when it gets bone dry. They don't like "wet feet" so don't let them stay saturated, either. (Is that a balancing act, or what? LOL)

The best thing you can do is to mark the places where they are, wait till fall, dig them up and replant them in good soil with better spacing. That's the best time to fertilize them, too. You CAN dig them after they die back this spring but don't disturb them now if you can help it. The foliage makes food this time of year for next year's blooms. A light dose of a liquid fertilizer applied now might help if it's watered in well but no guarantees. It might take a couple of years in a new spot to bring them back to full bloom.

Good luck with them. They're one of my favorite spring flowers. They always look so cheerful!

Sandy
kesflower
15 years ago
All of mine keep getting picked! Its the first year for them (planted them last fall) so they're pretty sparse anyway, and my little garden is right across the street from a school bus stop and the kids keep picking the few daffs that have come up. Very upsetting, but I'm hoping that next year the display will be more impressive so that the kids picking a few here and there won't be as noticeable. I have yet to see one daff in my yard in full bloom (punk middle school kids!)
DWA in AZ Sunset zone 12
15 years ago
My understanding is that bulbs get all their energy from the period after they bloom, so it could be last summer's drought-like conditions that affected them. Also, sometimes a maturing landscape gets shadier.
For kesflower, if you're there to see them, maybe all you need to do is be working out there when the bus unloads. Otherwise, pick them yourself and enjoy letting them unfurl indoors--at least you'll get to enjoy them that way.
nylisa
15 years ago
I should have two hundred flowers, but only got a dozen. Left the greens to turn brown last year, but may not have watered enough, and may not have fertilized. Got lots of healthy greens this year. They don't have wet feet, but might be crowded. They are in a shaded spot. This is the second year for them.

Related Stories

NATIVE PLANTS 5 Ways to Keep Your Native Plant Garden Looking Good All Year

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It’s all about planning ahead, using sustainable practices and accepting plants as living organisms

COLOR Rooms Bloom with Daffodil Colors

By Lisa Frederick

Spread sunshine throughout your home's interior design with the yellow and green colors of this flower-power palette

KITCHEN DESIGN Get Ideas From This Year’s Top 20 Kitchen Tours

By Becky Harris

Smart storage, functionality for cooks and families, vintage touches and lots of personality mark your favorites of 2015

MOST POPULAR 5 Remodels That Make Good Resale Value Sense — and 5 That Don’t

By Matt Clawson

Find out which projects offer the best return on your investment dollars

DECORATING GUIDES Isn’t It Good, Nordic Wood: The Appeal of Pale Floors

From silvery ash to honey blonde or chalk white, light-toned floors hold the key to the pared-back simplicity of Scandinavian style

MOST POPULAR 8 Life-Enhancing Home Resolutions for the New Year

By Laura Gaskill

You can take steps to make this the year your home truly becomes a place of comfort and joy

COLOR How to Use Marsala, Pantone’s 2015 Color of the Year

By Jennifer Ott Design

Pantone digs deep and goes earthy with its selection. Here are ways to make it work in your home

DECORATING GUIDES 13 Ways to Be Happier in Your Home This Year

By Laura Gaskill

Savor a richer experience in your house without Herculean efforts or spending a fortune, by focusing on what's important

UNIVERSAL DESIGN My Houzz: Universal Design Helps an 8-Year-Old Feel at Home

By Becki Peckham

An innovative sensory room, wide doors and hallways, and other thoughtful design moves make this Canadian home work for the whole family

DECORATING GUIDES Tangerine Tango: 4 Ways to Use Pantone's Color of the Year

By Vanessa Brunner

Don't let this bold hue scare you — try warming up any room with this cheerful red-orange color of 2012

Sponsored