If I say “spring flower”, what comes to mind? Daffodils, of course! With their amazing fragrance, abundant blossoms with the trumpet (or corona, a “crown”) in the middle, golden yellow, white orange and even pink shades, they light up like stars when the good season starts. Stunning in beds, lawns, containers or cut for your indoor vases, they are just a joy, as the poet Wordworth tells us. But what about after they have bloomed? What should you do to make sure that they come back as vibrant and plentiful next year?
What you do after your daffodils have flowered is key to keeping them strong and healthy, and to have as many blossoms next year – if not more! And here’s what you need to do – and a big mistake you must absolutely avoid.
1: Deadhead All Daffodil Blooms as Soon as They Are Spent
The very first thing you need to do as soon as a daffodil flower is spent is to deadhead it. Don’t leave the blooms on, or they will very quickly go to seed, and what does this mean? It means that instead of sending energy back to the bulb underground, your Narcissus will invest in seeds.
So, if you don’t deadhead spent daffodil blooms, you will get weaker bulbs.
How to do it? Simple, cut just below the ovary of the flower, at the top of the stem (technically called a “scape”). It’s that bulging bit just under the petals. If you only remove the petals, it will go to seed.
As daffodils tend to bloom all in one big burst, this won’t take you too much time.
2: Water Your Daffodils Sparingly After They Have Bloomed
Do not overwater daffodils after they have bloomed. It’s an easy mistake to make, because we think that the leaves and bulb need a lot. But it’s not true! The leaves have stopped growing at this stage, and they are starting to die back slowly.
What’s more, if you overwater daffodils after they have flowered, the bulbs may risk rotting!
So, only water your daffodils when the top 1 or 2 inches of soil have dried up (2.5 to 5.0 cm).
3: Do Not Bind the Leaves After Your Daffodils Have Flowered
I have seen it in many gardens… The long leaves of daffodils are tied up in “bunches” after they have bloomed. I’ve even seen them braided! This is a mistake (not the biggest, we’ll see it at the end…) In fact, you will reduce the surface area for photosynthesis and weaken the bulb.
They don’t even look messy, just natural – enjoy these lovely leaves while they last!
4: Fertilize Your Daffodils as Soon as They Have Bloomed
Don’t waste any time, or it will be too late! Your daffodils’ leaves will die back within 6 to maximum 8 weeks, and in this time, they need to produce energy to store back into the bulb, so they can come back strong and eager to bloom next year.
Use a low nitrogen fertilizer (they don’t need to grow new leaves), with NPK 5-10-10. You can use a granular, slow-release product, or a liquid, fast-release one, they will have enough time to absorb the nutrients before they die back.
If you are late though, use a liquid one!
5: Mulch Around Your Daffodils after They Have Flowered
You can spread a thin layer of mulch (1 inch, or 2.5 cm) around the daffodil clump after they have blossomed to keep the soil humid and rich in nutrients.
But this is not a must… You should do it in flower beds, but not if you grow them in your lawn.
6: Divide Thick Daffodil Clumps after They Have Bloomed
But wait! Don’t do it straight away! You must wait till all the foliage has died back, only then you can divide dense clumps.
You should do it only with clumps that have become too big. This is usually every 3 to 5 years, not often, and when there areat least 10 to 12 bulbs together. Here is how to do it:
- With a fork (don’t use a spade) dig all around the clump, keeping about 4 inches away (10 cm).
- Lift the whole clump.
- Uproot the whole clump.
- Divide the single bulbs; It is very easy, they are not fully attached.
- Transplant the bulbs.
This way you can propagate your daffodils and get new clumps over the years. But it also leads me to the final point… The mistake!
The Big Mistake – Never, Absolutely NEVER Cut Down Your Daffodils’ Leaves Too Early!
And we come to the big mistake you should never, never, never make! I know, you may think, “But now that my daffodils are not in flower, I want to plant some new varieties.” But if you do, don’t expect Narcissus to come back as strong and floriferous next year.
Most bulbs, like daffodils, keep their leaves on for a reason: they need to produce energy to store back into the bulbs before they go dormant. Basically, they are fattening their bulbs.
After flowering, the bulbs are at their weakest and their smallest, because they have used up lots of energy to give you those enchanting blooms. So, wait…
It will take daffodils between 6 and 8 weeks to go fully dormant, and you will see it, because the leaves will slowly turn yellow, and then they will also start drying up.
Wait till the leaves have yellowed completely, no need to let them dry up fully. At this stage, you can simply trim them back to ground level.
A Bit of Simple Aftercare When Your Daffodils Have Stopped Blooming Goes a Long Way to Getting Amazing Flowers Next Year!
And… That’s all folks! Daffodils are really low maintenance but very generous with their spring floral displays indeed. There are only a few things you must do to get lots of their bright blossoms back next year (or even more). And a massive mistake to avoid…
Written By
Amber Noyes
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town, San Mateo. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco. With experience working on an organic farm, water conservation research, farmers’ markets, and plant nursery, she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can better understand the connection between microclimate and plant health. When she’s not on the land, Amber loves informing people of new ideas/things related to gardening, especially organic gardening, houseplants, and growing plants in a small space.