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minal_gw

daffodils bulb planting

shabbu
12 years ago

Hello, I am planning to plant some daffodil bulbs in my small flower bed this Oct. I am completely new to this and had a basic question.

Right now I have Zinnias growing in the flower bed. So once the Zinnias are gone, I will remove them and plant the daffodils which I assume will bloom between Feb-May next year. Once the daffodils are dried, can I just leave the bulbs in the same place and then put in my zinnia plants, or do I leave that area alone. I just wouldnt want that flower bed to be bare in the summer, with nothing growing in it.

Any comments or suggestions welcome, as this is my first time considering planting bulbs. thanks.

Comments (5)

  • docmom_gw
    12 years ago

    You can definitely plant something over the daffodil bulbs. It could be either an annual or a perennial that would bloom later than the daffodil and would cover up the foliage from the bulbs as they fade. You can do this with any spring blooming bulbs.

    Martha

  • shabbu
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Great!!. So I will leave the daffodils in the soil and go ahead and plant my zinnia plants in the same place. I am assuming I wont be able to till the area too much, as it may damage the bulbs. Maybe I will loosen the soil with a spade. Can you recommend a good place to buy daffodils online?

  • janroze
    12 years ago

    Brett & Nora Mulder of Orange City Iowa at http://tuliptownbulbs.com/order.html

    I see they carry Dutch Master Daffodils. Their predecessor had King Alfred. Both are yellow. I planted KA years ago and they still come up - don't know about the reliability of DM. I had no luck with many other fancy Daffys, but we are on clay.
    They bloom just before the tulips here along with forsythia and my blue grape hyacinths - end of April to first part of May.
    After they finish blooming, I cut back the bloom stem and braid the leaves to keep them looking neat. When they turn ALL brown, I cut them to soil level.
    gramma jan
    Enjoy your new spring cheer.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    12 years ago

    gramma has a good point-don't cut the leaves off until they turn brown-they need to gather food for the next year! I just let mine go and the hosta, ferns, etc. hide the leaves as they fade. What a beautiful spring you will have!

  • trovesoftrilliums
    12 years ago

    I like to group the daffodils with the larger foliage (and usually larger flowers) to the back of a garden bed, and then put daffodils with smaller leaves toward the front of the bed. The leaves of some of the larder daffodils can really hang in there for a long time, and if it is toward the back of the bed, it does fade into the whole scene easier.

    Also, if you plant the bulbs in distinct groups and mark the groups with something that will stay put, then when you plant the zinnias you will be able to see the areas where you can dig. I use surveyor flags, but I don't mind having them around my garden. A less visible alternative I have read about but never used, is cut sections of venetian blinds.

    I've ordered from here before and been pleased:
    http://www.johnscheepers.com/index.html
    Actually I ordered from their wholesale site (Van Engelen), but they sell the same bulbs, just different quantities. Be aware of the shipping costs tho (10-15% depending on where you live). First week of Nov their remaining stock goes on sale.

    Hope it goes well! Spring bulbs are such a great way to herald in the new season. :)

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