Daffodils, daffodils – planting and care in the pot

Daffodils are very undemanding and easy to plant. In order to enjoy the colorful flowers of the plant, you should still choose the right location:

• A sunny place is ideal.
• A light place in partial shade is also tolerated.

Also known as trumpet daffodil, the plant is sensitive to soil compaction. Use conventional potting soil and loosen it up with sand. The pH of the soil should be between 6 and 7.

pour

Daffodils have a very high demand for water during the flowering period. Therefore, if necessary, water the plants with rainwater several times a day. However, make sure that the water drains off quickly. You can, for example, achieve this in advance with a layer of lava gravel on the bottom of the pot.

If the substrate is completely dry, the right casting technique is important. Water the substrate sufficiently and repeat this process a few times. If the water is poured only once, the water will only find the fastest route through the substrate. This time is not enough for the earth to soak up sufficient moisture. Be sure to remove excess water from the coaster at the end.

Fertilize

It is fertilized in spring and immediately after flowering. The rest of the year the bulbs do not need any additional supply of nutrients. Loosen the soil around the daffodils regularly and use a conventional universal flower fertilizer if necessary.

For an optimal start in buckets, you can also enrich the substrate directly with compost. In this case, the daffodils are adequately supplied and only need to be fertilized again after the flowering period – at the end of May.

Repot

In order to enjoy the pretty plant with the trumpet-shaped flowers every year, “repotting” is almost a must. With this action, cut off the small daughter bulbs and prepare a drainage at the bottom of the new planter. Coarse pebbles or lava chippings have proven to be effective. The daffodil bulbs are pressed about 8 centimeters into the humus-rich substrate and finally poured sufficiently with low-lime water.

During repotting, you can easily multiply the lovely smelling flowers with the smaller bulbs. Create your own spring oasis on the balcony or move the daffodils that have not yet been driven out into the open air.

Multiply

The pleasantly scented Narcissus pseudonarcissus can easily be propagated by separating the “daughter onions”. Put the small tubers in prepared plant pots so that they can sprout in the following year. Seed cultivation, on the other hand, is only successful if the plant you have chosen is not a hybrid form.

Propagation via seeds – For the formation and maturation of the seeds, not all flowers must be removed immediately after withering. Once the stem has softened and falls down from the weight of the seeds, cut the seed pods. Daffodils are cold germs and it can take 2 to 3 years for the first flower to form. For better germination, you should not dry the seeds, but sow them immediately in a separate planter. Keep the substrate moderately moist until autumn and remove the weeds regularly. The young seedlings resemble blades of grass in spring. You should therefore play it safe and only pluck away what obviously does not belong in the planter.

plant

You don’t need to own a garden to enjoy the luscious splendor of the blooming heralds of spring. If your balcony or terrace is in a sunny location, you can also cultivate the daffodils in pots or boxes. In combination with other colored flowers and plants, you can create your own oasis of well-being in the smallest of spaces. There is little to consider when planting daffodil bulbs in pots:

• The bulbs are planted in January / February.
• Maintain a distance of 6 – 8 centimeters between the tubers.
• Create drainage at the bottom of the pot made of lava gravel or pottery shards.
• Enrich potting soil with compost.
• Plant the daffodil bulbs approximately three inches deep.
• Fill up with earth and pound on.
• Avoid too loamy substrate.
• The floor must not be pressed into place.
• Moisten the earth well.

The cultivation containers should be left in a dark room at a temperature of 8-10 ° C for about 8-10 weeks. As soon as the shoot has reached a height of 8 centimeters, the young plants can be relocated to the balcony or terrace.

As early as spring, the specialist trade will have small pots with daffodils ready for you. If you resort to these plants, you should move the Narcissus pseudonarcissus into a larger container in late autumn. When planting daffodils that have already sprouted, proceed in the same way as with the flower bulbs. There is only no need to stay in a dark room at low temperatures.

To cut

One of the bad habits of many hobby gardeners is that the entire plant is radically cut back immediately after the last flowering. Don’t let yourself be tempted to take this step with the daffodils. You can safely remove withered inflorescences and stems – for visual reasons. However, the daffodil bulbs still collect enough power through the leaves for their underground reproduction and for budding in the following year.
Only cut away withered daffodil blossoms directly, as this will immediately stimulate the plant to form new buds.

Overwinter

Trumpet daffodils – as the lovely smelling daffodils are also called – are usually extremely hardy and can easily remain in the ground outdoors. When cultivated in pots, the flower bulbs are only inadequately protected from periods of severe frost and can freeze to death. Bring the planters to a dark, frost-free room or use a special fleece if the daffodils are left outdoors.

Toxicity

You should always wear gloves when handling the daffodils. All parts of the plant are extremely toxic to humans and animals. The sap of the daffodil species causes irritation on the skin and can also lead to allergies. Immediately after working with the spring flowers, you should wash your hands sufficiently with warm water.

Even as cut flowers, daffodils tend to “poison” other vase flowers with their poisonous secret. Still, you don’t have to do without daffodils in the vase. After about 24 hours, the interface is “bled out”. During this time, simply put the daffodils in a separate water container. Or you don’t combine the magnificent flowers with other cut flowers. Because even on your own, the trumpet-shaped daffodils are a fascinating sight.

Care tips and possible uses

In order to enjoy the spring flowers that grow up to 35 cm high for several years, you can use the following tips:

Make yellow leaves disappear? As already mentioned, daffodils need the leaves to create enough energy reserves in the tuber. But a short time after the last flower wilted in May, the leaves become unsightly and discolored. Enhance the previously distinctive eye-catcher again by braiding or tying the remaining leaves. Another option would be to hide the pot in an airy, light place.

Planting tips: There is another way of concealing wilting leaves: Cultivate different types of daffodils in larger pots or boxes, which bloom at different times.

• Maintain a planting distance of 6 – 8 centimeters.
• The depth of the different bulbs can vary by a few centimeters.

Inquire beforehand which flowers bloom directly after the daffodils, for example, and ensure that you have a long and varied bloom on your own balcony or terrace. You can easily plant two to three different types of daffodils in a large pot or flower box.

Promote growth? You can actively support the growth of the spring flowers five to six weeks before the flowers begin to form. Use liquid fertilizers with a low nitrogen content. This is administered according to the package instructions until the first buds appear.Plant not blooming? If daffodils only develop leaves, this can have several causes. The flower bulb, for example, tends to eagerly develop daughter bulbs. As soon as the bulbs have completely penetrated the planter, they are no longer able to absorb nutrients. Regularly give the daffodils a larger pot and separate the tubers. Daffodils only bloom from the 2nd to 3rd year of life and then shine in their full and fragrant splendor from March to May.

Pests and diseases

Daffodils are susceptible to a number of persistent pests, the progress of which can often result in death of the entire plant.

Small leaf
nematodes, which reach a maximum length of 1 mm. These roundworms spread through the irrigation water over the daffodils. The pests feed on the plant’s cell sap. When infected, the leaves of the infected daffodil show glassy spots on the leaves. Immediately and generously cut away infected parts of the plant and use another water source. If these measures do not work and the infection with the small leaves is too great, the daffodil must be completely removed. Before the next planting, you should also completely change the substrate.

Daffodil flies
Several species are known of this winged pest. The flies lay their eggs directly on the daffodil, with the larvae migrating down to the bulb immediately after hatching. They literally like these to eat and almost completely hollow them out. If the plant was not completely destroyed in the following year, the shoots are weak and wither very quickly. Place infected onions in 44 ° C water for three to four hours. At this temperature the larvae die off completely. If the infestation has progressed too far, the plant and the substrate should be disposed of in the residual waste.

Onion basal rot
Even daffodils are by no means spared from diseases. This fungus attacks the flower bulb and causes it to rot completely from the inside out. The premature wilting of flowers and leaves can sometimes indicate a fungal attack. Remove the infested daffodil with the general waste to avoid infecting neighboring plants.

Conclusion
Daffodils are a must for all flower lovers. Because errors can hardly occur in cultivation. Apart from the right location and the regular supply of water, the daffodil makes no further demands on its holder. Enjoy the lovely, fragrant flowers and bring a piece of spring to your own balcony or window sill with daffodils.