Gransnet forums

Gardening

So disappointed

(40 Posts)
Sunnysideup Fri 26-Feb-21 14:25:31

Last Spring I had a very poor show of daffodils with most of them coming up ‘blind’. Undeterred, I planted 50 more in the Autumn hoping that I would get a better display this year. There must be over 200 bulbs in this particular spot now. Oh dear, what a poor show again. About six are in bloom but with very bowed heads and the rest are again ‘blind’. So disappointed.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 26-Feb-21 14:39:17

What types of daff are they?

Esspee Fri 26-Feb-21 15:17:31

I thought bulbs were full proof. The flowers are developed the previous year so the first season is guaranteed - at least that is what I always thought.
Could it be your soil? Is the area in the shade?

vampirequeen Fri 26-Feb-21 15:22:19

According to Mr Google it's possible that you haven't planted them deep enough.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 26-Feb-21 15:27:06

What I am wondering is that it is relatively early in the daffodil season, as you can get daffs from December through to June, and they may be a later type. I think jonquils are later.

BlueBelle Fri 26-Feb-21 15:41:36

Mine certainly aren’t out yet it’s very early and we ve had some rough weather I d wait and see you might be surprised

Ellianne Fri 26-Feb-21 15:44:37

Where are you in the country? I think that depends a lot. Here in the south west the daffodils have been out for a couple of weeks. Just hoping they will last.

keepingquiet Fri 26-Feb-21 16:33:16

It could be the soil, the depth of planting, the amount of light and water, the time of planting and even the quality of the bulbs themselves. My instinct would be to buy fewer, but order from a reputable supplier. Mine are not out yet either. I bought mine from B&Q!

Mapleleaf Fri 26-Feb-21 16:37:13

A few of mine are out, but not all yet. Some came up blind last year - I suspect they were old bulbs I planted.

Sunnysideup Fri 26-Feb-21 17:05:54

Thank you so much for all your replies. It seems there could be a number of reasons. I bought them from a local garden centre and I live on the south coast. Neighbouring gardens seem to have good displays but it could very well be that they are near to a large conifer and don’t get a lot of sun. I’m fortunate to be able to have a gardener once a month and he planted them for me so would have hoped he knew how deep to plant them. Ah well, thanks again, maybe I’ll put them in tubs next year! do you think if I put a bit of compost around them they would perk up?

janeainsworth Fri 26-Feb-21 17:29:06

Did you let the leaves stay on the bulbs last year OP? That’s important because they nourish the bulb in readiness for next years flowers.
I wouldn’t dig them up, I’d give them another chance but give them a good covering of compost as well as leaving the leaves on.
Different varieties flower at different times - the only ones that are out in my garden right now are February Gold.

shysal Fri 26-Feb-21 17:39:07

Daffodils are unpredictable. In a garden in my village a row of them newly planted last year flowered well and then got cut off down to the ground immediately after the heads died. This year they are again in full flower, against what I would have thought!
I hope you will have more success if you persevere.

Nannytopsy Fri 26-Feb-21 17:39:37

They may have been very dry, particularly under the trees.

dustyangel Fri 26-Feb-21 18:07:32

How long do you have to keep the dead leaves on for Jane? I ask because to have a lot of freesias coming up in a walled bed that I can see from the kitchen window. As soon as all the freesias, which are beautiful, die off, I miss them and want put something cheerful in there.

keepingquiet Fri 26-Feb-21 18:27:12

Conifers dry out the soil. I would just get a few more and plant them elsewhere. All mine are in tubs. And sack your gardener lol!

Sunnysideup Fri 26-Feb-21 18:50:13

Yes, the leaves were left on last year because I know that’s what one is supposed to do. Is it too late to perhaps give them a liquid feed? Rather fond of my gardener so won’t sack him!!

janeainsworth Fri 26-Feb-21 22:20:53

dustyangel I usually leave them on until they dry out enough to just pick them up without pulling them away. If they look scruffy I just cover them with compost, but usually other things in the borders, like hardy geraniums, grow up and cover the dried leaves.
Sunny I’d have thought it’s a bit late now to give a liquid feed but it might be worth a try...

Hetty58 Fri 26-Feb-21 22:27:50

Don't use a nitrogen fertiliser - as it can stop them flowering. I'd give them compost or a potash feed to help next year's blooms.

Hetty58 Fri 26-Feb-21 22:33:06

Last spring was warm and dry, with a prolonged drought. I'm not surprised that they failed to produce flowers.

HurdyGurdy Sat 27-Feb-21 23:24:11

I found a large net of daffodil bulbs in the greenhouse this morning which I had totally forgotten about. A lot had started sprouting, so I felt very guilty.

I've just shoved them in some troughs and pots in some compost and hope they do something. Probably not, but I felt I had to give them a chance, at least.

I also found another bag of very small bulbs, again forgotten about, which had also started sprouting, so they went into some compost as well.

Probably nothing will happen with them, but at least I feel I've given them a chance!

janeainsworth Sun 28-Feb-21 08:26:10

Hurdygurdy I have a similar but slightly different problem. Last year I bought some Ixia ‘spotlight’ bulbs which were a delight.
I lifted them in the autumn and so far efforts to remember where I put them have been been unsuccessful blushsad

Daisymae Sun 28-Feb-21 10:06:13

Dig a couple up and see what the planting depth is. I usually plant in plastic pots and dot them about the garden. Maybe try a different spot in the autumn.

Hilarybee Sun 28-Feb-21 10:59:17

I left last year’s daffodil bulbs in a dish without any soil over the past year and they started to sprout recently so I planted them up and have got some lovely flowers now

Mauriherb Sun 28-Feb-21 11:02:17

Slightly off topic but a couple of weeks ago I treated myself to a small pot of miniature daffodils from Sainsbury, they were £1.50 so I really wasn't expecting much. How wrong I was there are 12 beautiful miniature daffodils, really pretty and have lasted well

Daisend1 Sun 28-Feb-21 11:13:05

Just ignore them.I found out, one year, when during a period of ill health my garden was neglected that my little patch of daffodils put on their best display ever the following spring .Always leave the heads on and let the leaves wither away naturally.I know it is tempting to trim them following flowering but this was one way I found by letting them just do their own thing they rewarded me with their display the following year.A bit of feed does no harm look online for the best time to do this.