Bulb
How to grow daffodils
Narcissus cultivars
Daffodils are the easiest spring bulbs to keep for decades. Plant in September, or October at the latest, at three times the height of the bulb, in sun or light shade and soil that is moist in spring but never waterlogged. Early planting matters because they root in autumn. After flowering, leave the foliage untouched for six weeks: that is what builds next year's flower.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
- Position
- Sun to light shade
- Soil
- Free-draining, moisture-retentive in growth
- Ideal pH
- 6.0 to 7.0
- Water
- Low; water in a dry spring while in leaf
- Feeding
- Light feeder
Sowing and planting daffodils
WhenPlant Sep to Oct; flowers Feb to Apr; leave foliage 6 weeks after flowering
Starting off
Plant dry bulbs Sep to Oct, 10 to 15 cm deep, nose up; a small 'Tête-à -tête' bulb goes 8 cm deep. Divide congested clumps in Jun as foliage yellows, replanting offsets at once at the same depth; they flower in 1 to 2 years. Seed takes 5 to 7 years to flower.
Spacing and planting
Plant 10 to 15 cm apart in grass or borders, 5 cm in pots; set bulbs three times their height deep, in practice 10 to 15 cm for large bulbs. Fine in a 30 cm pot, closely packed, or layered in a lasagne pot.
Varieties worth growing
- 'Tête-à -tête'
- Dwarf at 15 cm with several small yellow flowers per stem in February and March. The best daffodil for pots, window boxes and the front of a border.
- 'February Gold'
- Early, with swept-back petals on 30 cm stems that stand up to wind and rain. Naturalises well in grass.
- 'Carlton'
- The classic large yellow daffodil for March. Vigorous, cheap by the sack and reliable for planting in drifts.
- 'Thalia'
- Pure white, two or three scented flowers to a stem in April. Elegant in a border or pot and happy in light shade.
- Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus
- Old pheasant's eye: white with a small red-rimmed cup, strongly scented and the last to flower, in May. Does best in grass that stays moist.
Daffodils month by month
Timings are for central England. Allow two weeks later in the north and on cold, heavy soil.
- January
Nothing to do. Shoots show; the earliest varieties flower in mild areas.
- February
'February Gold' and 'Tête-à -tête' flower. Keep pots just moist.
- March
Main flowering. Snap off dead heads, leaving the stalk. Start feeding as flowers fade.
- April
Late varieties flower. Water in a dry spring while in leaf. Continue feeding.
- May
Pheasant's eye flowers. Leave all foliage alone; do not tie or mow it.
- June
Mow bulbs in grass from mid June. Lift and divide crowded clumps as the leaves yellow. Firm soil over the necks.
- July
Nothing to do.
- August
Order bulbs. Buy as soon as they are on sale and plant promptly.
- September
Plant: 10 to 15 cm deep for large bulbs, 8 cm for dwarfs.
- October
Finish planting.
- November
Nothing to do. Bulbs planted this late flower, but shorter and later in their first spring.
- December
Nothing to do.
Feeding daffodils
A light feeder. Nothing is needed at planting on ordinary soil; what matters is a low-nitrogen feed in the weeks between flowering and the leaves dying back, when the bulb forms next year's bud.
Low, feed with potassium after flowering while the leaves are green, to build next year's bulb.
Feeding plan
September, at planting
Nothing
No fertiliser needed. Do not put fresh manure near the bulbs.
As the flowers fade, borders
100 g/m², the bottom of the label range, scattered around the clumps and watered in. Once a year is enough.
As the flowers fade, bulbs in grass
20 g/m², the bottom of the label range, scattered over the drift once. Potash without nitrogen feeds the bulb and not the grass competing with it.
Pots, from flowering until the leaves yellow
3 g per litre of compost on the surface every 2 weeks: 45 g for a 30 cm pot holding about 15 litres, two or three times in all.
While in leaf after flowering
1 g per litre of water as a drench every 2 to 3 weeks, alongside the dry feed. Useful for congested clumps you have just divided.
Signs to watch
Leaves but no flowers (blind)
Bulbs too shallow, too crowded, or foliage cut early
Lift in Jun, replant deeper at 15 cm with a high-potash feed
Yellow leaves while in growth in Apr
Waterlogging or basal rot
Lift and check
Grass-fed clumps thin out
Lawn nitrogen grows leaf
Use sulphate of potash
Pests, diseases and problems
A bulb fails to appear or sends up only a few thin, grassy leaves; when lifted it is soft, with a fat cream maggot inside
Large narcissus bulb fly, which lays eggs at the neck of the bulb in early summer as the leaves die back
Bin soft bulbs. Rake or firm soil over the holes left as foliage withers so the fly cannot reach the neck, and plant at full depth. Bulbs in light shade and breezy spots are attacked less.
Bulb base soft and chocolate brown, sometimes with pink-white mould; stored bulbs rot from the base up
Basal rot, a soil fungus that is worst in warm soil and warm storage
Discard affected bulbs, lift and divide while the leaves are still yellowing, store cool and airy, and do not replant daffodils in the same spot.
Leaves short, twisted and bearing small raised yellow swellings; a cut bulb shows brown rings
Narcissus eelworm, a microscopic nematode that spreads through the soil
Dig out and bin the affected clump and any bulbs within a metre. Grow no daffodils, tulips, hyacinths or onions there for at least three years.
Flowers shredded or holed as they open
Slugs and snails, which climb the stems on damp nights
Pick off after dark with a torch; clear dead leaves and debris from around the clumps.
Leaf tips red-brown and scorched as they emerge, spreading down the leaf
Narcissus leaf scorch, a fungal disease
Cut off affected tips as soon as seen and bin them. Do not compost the old foliage of affected clumps.
Leaves streaked pale green or yellow from new, plants weaker each year
Virus
No cure. Lift and bin affected bulbs so the clump next to them is not infected.
Pruning
Pruning and care
Deadhead by snapping off the seed head, leaving the stem. Let foliage die down for six weeks, never tying or cutting it, and mow bulbs in grass only after mid-Jun. Lift and divide every 4 to 5 years in Jun if flowering declines. Fully hardy, no protection; keep pots just moist over winter.
Good to knowLet the foliage die down naturally (don't knot or cut it), that's what powers next year. Plant in autumn.
Growing daffodils in pots
Daffodils do well in pots for two or three years. Use a container at least 30 cm wide and deep, peat-free compost with a little grit, and plant in September with the bulbs almost touching and 10 cm of compost over them. For a longer display, layer the pot: large daffodils lowest, tulips above in November if you leave room, crocus on top. Keep the compost just moist all winter and never let it dry out in spring. After flowering, feed until the leaves yellow, then plant the bulbs out in the garden or repot in fresh compost in September.
Daffodils: common questions
Why are my daffodils all leaves and no flowers?
Daffodils come up blind when the bulbs are overcrowded, planted too shallow, or had their leaves cut or tied too soon the year before. Lift the clump in June as the foliage yellows, split it, and replant single bulbs 15 cm deep and 10 to 15 cm apart. Feed after flowering and expect flowers again in one to two years.
When can I cut back daffodil leaves?
Six weeks after the last flower fades, or when the leaves have turned yellow, whichever comes first. Cutting, mowing or knotting the leaves earlier starves the bulb and reduces next year's flowers. In grass, that usually means no mowing over the bulbs until mid June.
Can I plant daffodil bulbs in November or December?
Yes, as long as the bulbs are still firm. They will flower, though later and on shorter stems in the first spring, and they catch up the following year. September is the ideal month because daffodils start rooting early in autumn.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these references in November 2026. Feeding rates are Dr Forest label rates.