Daffodils will grow in almost any type of soil, but they still prefer well-drained, moist, slightly alkaline conditions. They thrive in sun or light, dappled shade.
Plant the bulbs 12-15 cm deep, in early autumn.
When bulbs are naturalized in grass, do not cut the old foliage until at least six weeks after they have flowered.
Bulbs in containers must be grown in cool conditions, with a lot of fresh air. Temperatures above 7-10 Celsius degrees (45-50 F) usually cause flowers to abort. Place the pot in a cold greenhouse after about 12-16 weeks. Once the flower buds have formed, blooming can be advanced by raising the temperature slowly but not exceeding 13 Celsius degrees (55 F).
Propagate daffodils
Propagate by offsets or by chipping or even by seed, the last one is a bit slowly.
Propagation by offsets should be done in spring, before the active growth begins. Lift a clump of bulbs with a garden fork. Shake excess soil from the roots and pull the clump apart.
Select a large bulb with several well-developed offsets, clean off the remained soil and pull the offsets away from the parent bulb, taking care to preserve any roots.
Fill up 15 cm pots with moist, sandy compost and insert a single offset into each pot, then cover it with 2,5 cm of compost. Water it.
Propagation by chipping should be done in autumn, when the foliage has died down. Lift the dormant bulbs and select a healthy, undamaged one. Trim off the growing tip and the roots taking care not to cut into the basal plate.
Place the bulb on a clean surface with its basal plate uppermost. Using a clean, sharp knife, carefully cut down the bulb , dividing into halves. Repeat the splitting until the bulb is cut into 16 chips.
Soak them in fungicide for 10-15 minutes, shaking form time to time the container. Drain off any excess moisture.
Half-fill some plastic bags with 11 parts vermiculite moistened with 1 part water. Put several chips in each bag. Seal the bags with rubber bands or plastic twist-ties. Store in a warm, dark, airy place.
When bulblets appear around the basal plate of the chips, plant the chips individually into 6 cm pots field with a well-drained potting compost. Place in sheltered position to grow on.
