Daffodils are some of the most treasured garden plants, so gardeners need to take care of them properly to make sure they flower well year after year. According to gardening expert Ben McInerney, founder of Home Garden Guides, stressed that it is “essential” for gardeners to deadhead their daffodils once the plant has finished flowering. This is the process of removing the dying flower heads.
While daffodils are pretty resilient plants and will continue to grow year after year, not deadheading them could result in daffodil blindness.
This is when the plants will grow, but no flowers will appear. If gardeners want that flash of soft yellow spring after spring, deadheading is a good idea.
Ben said: “Deadheading daffodils is a great way to keep these beautiful spring flowers blooming longer and looking their best.
“Deadheading daffodils is essential because it encourages the plant to direct its energy into producing new flowers rather than into seed production.”
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If gardeners leave old flowers on the plant, it will start to produce seedpods which “will weaken the plant” over time as it wastes the plant’s energy.
Gardeners should deadhead their daffodils as soon as the flowers start to fade.
This period is typically in late spring after the daffodils have finished going through their blooming period.
The expert warned that for the flowers are deadheaded earlier, this “can reduce the flower’s lifespan”, so it’s important to wait until the flowers have started to wilt before removing them.
To deadhead daffodils, Ben recommends gardeners wait until the flower stem has turned brown and the petals have fallen off.
He instructed: “Then, grasp the stem close to the base of the plant and gently twist it to snap it off.”
After deadheading the daffodils, it’s a good idea to remove any yellow or brown leaves from the plant.
Discarding the diseased or dying leaves will help to prevent disease and keep the plant looking tidy.
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The gardening pro also advised gardeners to continue to water and fertilise the plant throughout the growing season to “encourage growth”.
Daffodil fertiliser can enhance the perfect trumpet-shaped forms and colours of these cheery flowers. One of the best options is bone meal fertiliser.
If daffodil bulbs haven’t produced flowers, gardeners should dig them up and inspect them for signs of disease or damage.
Ben said: “If the bulbs look healthy, you can replant them and try again next year. If they are damaged or diseased, it’s best to dispose of them and start with fresh bulbs.”
Deadheading is just one of the ways that gardeners can encourage their daffodils to bloom year after year.
Daffodils may struggle to thrive when they are overcrowded. For those who have noticed that theirs have struggled to flower, it can be a good idea to lift the bulbs in summer and relocate them, spreading them out with enough room to flourish.
When planting daffodils, always make sure to plant the bulbs at least eight inches away from one another and at a depth of four to six inches.
Daffodils should not be planted near trees and will do well when grown in soil that contains organic mulch.
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