In my experience, forcing uses most of the bulb's energy. I usually plant mine in the yard after forcing them for a season. Others may have had better experiences with re-using the bulbs; I'm curious to see what others have to say.

brenleigh:

Probably not because as someone else has responded, the process of forcing takes too much of the bulbs energy and I would also plant them in the garden.

As for the subject of forcing, I'd opt to locate an excellent copy of "Crockett's Indoor Garden" by James Underwood Crockett of The Victory Garden fame. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but copies may be found at or through your local public library and/or at either of the two sources listed below.

http://www.abe.com

OR

http://www.albris.com

Both are excellent sources of used and new books in good to new condition.

Hope this helps!

Bill

I once saw a dutch gardener, who after forcing her bulbs, took them and ran them through her shredder and into her composter. She claimed that they were done, so she might as get that last little bit of good from them.

Today, I was over briefly at a neighbour's place, and he had several very large pots in his garage, into which he had planted his daffodils for next spring's show. He was planning to keep them indoors for the winter, watering only occasionally so they did not get too dry. He claims to have good success.

I saw another person who plants her new bulbs into large pots, and then takes them outdoors where the snow collects, puts the pots on their sides, and in the winter shovels the snow onto the pots so they don't get too cold. Putting them on their sides, prevents a build up of water and freezing. She says she has good success.

Both of these folks plant for shows outdoors, and not indoors. I am thinking that both of these would not take as much energy as forcing the bulb to bloom mid winter or very early spring indoors. I think I may try the latter idea myself for a splash of colour in spring.

I don't know if that helps you at all, but really for the price of daffodil bulbs, it is probably not worthy of a great effort to try to salvage them. Like Peach Fuzz, I usually plant the forced bulb into the garden in a back corner. If it makes it, fine. If not, c'est la vie!

I would think that the plant, while growing the previous year, would need a lot of fertilizer and full sun all day to store enough energy in the bulb for the next season's growth. If you grew it indoors, you won't get much this year.