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Gardening

Daffodils

(53 Posts)
katie1 Thu 06-Feb-20 19:31:56

I planted a bag of daffodils last Autumn in a newly dug over and manured bed. I used a bulb planter so they were all planted at the same depth. To my dismay not one daffodil has come up ? I am not new to gardening but I can’t understand why the bulbs have not come up! Does anyone have experience of this please?

Davida1968 Sat 08-Feb-20 10:34:26

Sometimes I've found that bulbs haven't come up in the first year after planting, but they have bloomed beautifully in the following year. Fingers crossed for your daffs!

BusterTank Sat 08-Feb-20 10:44:50

I planted bulbs when I first moved into this property they were not daffodils thou . It took them three years to come up and by that time , I forgot I planted them . Seven years on these bulbs keep performing each year .

Juicylucy Sat 08-Feb-20 10:50:50

Mine are all in containers planted in October and showing around 4” at the mo.

GreenGran78 Sat 08-Feb-20 11:16:01

I have a few early ones with buds on, but they are not newly planted. I am just looking forward to seeing my Spring flowers. Last year I was in Australia, and missed them all. It made me sad.
As others have suggested, leave your daffs for a little longer, then gently investigate to see if A) they are still there, and B) if they are showing any signs of life. If they have failed you can buy ready-grown ones in pots at most gardens centres and markets to give you a show for this year.
With reference to snowdrops. I tried, for years, to grow them from bulbs, but they just didn’t seem to like my soil. Then a gardener friend gave me a few clumps that were already flowering. I planted them, and they have come up successfully every year since then.

Phloembundle Sat 08-Feb-20 11:37:38

Slugs? Mine are up. I picked them because they seemed rather leggy and would surely have been wrecked by the approaching tempest.

Nitpick48 Sat 08-Feb-20 11:40:12

My husband planted ours upside down and wondered why they never came up! ?‍♀️

Annaram1 Sat 08-Feb-20 11:42:06

Daffs should be planted 6-8 inches deep and then the squirrels cant dig them up.
Also, when buying bulbs check to see that there are small signs of green at the growing end. If not , they may be old bulbs and will not grow.
Better luck next year.

icanhandthemback Sat 08-Feb-20 11:54:22

If you want to stop squirrels digging bulbs up, grate a little soap with them as you plant them. Another common mistake is dropping the bulbs into the hole without pushing them down and giving a little twist. If you don't, there may be air under them which water can fill and they rot. You can tell I've been to a Monty Don lecture! grin

moggie57 Sat 08-Feb-20 12:40:54

SQUIRRELS... or insects that eat them. depends if you live in a clay/chalk area or soil. sometimes my bulbs dont grow i am southeast too.....you could try putting them in a large garden pot..

Aepgirl Sat 08-Feb-20 13:47:41

Yes, blame the weather. My snowdrops are better than ever, and my camellia is in beautiful full bloom. However, I have only one lonely daffodil out. I’m sure it’s because of the amount of rain we had earlier on.

Purpledaffodil Sat 08-Feb-20 14:40:25

Bulbs will grow even if planted upside down. Used to do an experiment with Year 2! The growing tip grew in a U shape towards the light. Phototropism I believe? Scientific grans may know? ?

Patticake123 Sat 08-Feb-20 15:54:15

Mine are similar to others, I’m blaming the very wet weather.

4allweknow Sat 08-Feb-20 16:08:22

Daffodils! Bit early yet.

Callistemon Sat 08-Feb-20 16:21:32

Ours having been poking through since before Christmas and some are in bud. I hope this gale won't wreck them.

The tête à tête ones are in a sheltered spot and flowering.

Callistemon Sat 08-Feb-20 16:28:25

Purpledaffodil - great name for this thread!

Yes, most plants will grow towards the light although some plants need to turn away from the light for a reason.. I turn my pot plants round regularly.

Watch sunflowers turn their little faces to the sun.

Bulbs should exhibit phototropism but if planted too deeply they won't reach the surface!

winterwhite Sat 08-Feb-20 16:43:13

No daffodils yet but ours are mainly in the lawn and always get mown too soon. Snowdrops nearly at their best, but once again no mauve crocuses.sad sad Every year I plant some around red-leaved heuchera, and every year zilch. Yet the egg-yolk yellow ones that I rather dislike are fruitful and multiply. No idea why.

CBBL Sat 08-Feb-20 17:09:10

I have daff's that are in full bloom in the front garden, just coming up in other places. I live in Lincolnshire, only nine miles from the coast and we seem to miss a lot of the extreme weather events. Snowdrops everywhere and primulas in flower, too! As others have said, there could be a number of reasons. Once you have checked that bulbs are still whole - they may flower later, or perhaps you'll have to wait until next year.

NotTooOld Sat 08-Feb-20 17:24:57

Perhaps they were duff bulbs?

TrendyNannie6 Sat 08-Feb-20 18:18:02

Nothing happening here in the diff department and I have lots of them waiting to flower, but I have got several snowdrops appearing

TrendyNannie6 Sat 08-Feb-20 18:18:19

Daff dept

Lizbethann55 Sat 08-Feb-20 20:33:25

My little GD and I potted some bulbs in tubs last autumn. They were all different types. Not one of them has broken surface yet, through all my long established daffies are inches high already

Callistemon Sat 08-Feb-20 22:47:51

winterwhite my purple crocus are fine, the yellow ones disappeared.

Callistemon Sat 08-Feb-20 22:48:45

A squirrel ate all my tulip bulbs as they were sprouting.

katie1 Thu 20-Feb-20 19:47:12

I had a peek a week or two ago at what was happening underground and yes! they were growing upright. This week a few are poking through the surface, but by all means not all the ones I planted. Maybe they were too deep, but I used a dibber and I thought they couldn't be planted too deeply ? The bulbs that have been there for a few years have been showing for weeks now ?

grannypiper Thu 20-Feb-20 20:36:50

My Daffs are always 3 weeks behind everyone else's, dont worry thaey will peep through soon