Content
Daffodil bulbs, especially if you choose the right place for planting them and provide proper care, actively reproduce. After 4-5 years, the flowerbed becomes crowded for them. As a result, the flowers become smaller and the number of buds decreases. Due to a lack of water and nutrients, not only decorativeness suffers, but also immunity and the general endurance of plants. To maintain the presentability of the flower bed, it is necessary to regularly replant the daffodils.
When can daffodils be transplanted to another location?
In principle, replanting daffodils and other bulbous plants is allowed throughout most of the season, regardless of whether they are grown in open ground or in pots. In order for plants to endure stress as painlessly as possible and bloom as quickly as possible, it is necessary to choose the right time.
Is it possible to replant daffodils in the spring before flowering?
The beginning of the season (mid-spring) is not the best time to transplant daffodils to another place, especially in open ground. It is extremely difficult to guess over time when the substrate has already warmed up sufficiently, but the bulbs are still in a dormant state, their active growing season has not begun.
Even if everything is done correctly, daffodils after spring transplantation will bloom no earlier than two seasons later. It takes at least a month for the bulbs to take root, the plant development cycles are disrupted, and it takes time to restore them. The risk of them freezing in the coming winter increases, despite the quality of care during the spring and summer.
Preparing the soil for transplanting daffodils in the spring will have to be done in the fall.
Is it possible to replant flowering daffodils?
The worst time to transplant daffodils. When they bloom, the bulbs are maximally depleted, since all the nutrients they store are directed toward the formation of buds.
Replanting a blooming daffodil is very stressful. The plant is unable to bloom further or begin to actively grow its root system. Existing flowers and buds quickly dry out and fall off, the leaves lose their tone, turn yellow, and look lethargic.
If you transplant flowering daffodils, they take root in a new place very slowly and reluctantly. In this state, they tolerate any negative external influences much worse and become more susceptible to pathogenic microflora and pest attacks.
There is a high probability that the narcissist will not be able to recover after an untimely transplant.
Is it possible to replant daffodils in the summer?
The last ten days of August is the optimal time to transplant daffodils.When flowering ends, the above-ground part gradually begins to dry out and die, all the nutrients from the leaves and peduncles are transferred to the bulb.
If the transplant is carried out correctly, it will immediately become active, starting to grow roots. In the time remaining before the first frost, the bulb has time to adapt to the changed conditions, so in the vast majority of cases it survives the winter safely.
There is no need to rush too much into moving plants to a new location in the summer. Firstly, if the above-ground part has not yet had time to completely dry before transplantation, this means that the bulb did not receive enough nutrients. Secondly, deceived by the warmth, the narcissus often begins to produce leaves that definitely will not survive the winter.
In the spring the bulb wakes up, flowering from daffodils after transplantation in August-September is expected in May-June next year
When can you replant daffodils in the fall?
Transplanting daffodils to another place in the fall is practiced only in regions with a temperate or warmer climate. The time needs to be calculated so that there is about a month left before the first frost. You have to focus both on the long-term weather forecast and on the traditional climatic features of each region.
In central Russia, you can delay transplanting daffodils until mid-October, in the south - until the first days of November. The average daily air temperature by this time should not fall below 8-10 °C.
How to transplant daffodils correctly
Regardless of the chosen time, the procedure for transplanting daffodils follows a single algorithm. Preliminary preparation also does not change in any way.
Transplantation into open ground
First of all, you need to choose the right place to transplant the daffodil bulbs. They prefer:
- good lighting;
- free aeration with protection from cold drafts;
- quite nutritious, but at the same time loose substrate;
- soil acid-base balance is close to neutral.
If you choose the wrong place for transplantation, abundant flowering of daffodils is impossible.
The preparation of the flower bed for transplanting daffodils is carried out in advance; it should stand for about 15-20 days. The soil is dug deeply, at the same time introducing humus or rotted compost (12-15 l/m²), as well as complex fertilizer. It can be universal (for flowering garden plants) or specialized (for bulbous plants).
Daffodils are dug up immediately before transplanting. The remaining soil is shaken off the bulbs, trying to keep the roots intact, and sorted, separating the children and carefully inspecting them. All substandard items are thrown away. The rest are washed in warm water.
To minimize the risk of mechanical damage, it is more convenient to dig out the bulbs with a fork and separate the children by hand
Next, the bulbs need to be disinfected.To prevent fungal diseases, they are soaked in a solution of any fungicide suitable for treating planting material.
The concentration of the solution and the etching time are indicated in the instructions for the drug
You can also use folk remedies, for example, a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate. The daffodil bulbs are kept in it for 45-60 minutes.
The actual procedure for transplanting daffodils to a new location follows the following algorithm:
- Dig holes three times the height of the bulb. The interval between them is determined based on the size of adult plants and varies from 15-20 to 35-40 cm.
- Approximately an hour before transplanting, it is good to pour them with water.
- Cover the bottom with a thin (1.5-2 cm) layer of sand mixed with sifted wood ash, ensuring drainage.
- Place the bulbs in the holes bottom down, slightly pressing or turning them into the soil.
- Sprinkle with soil, leveling the edges of the holes with the ground. There is no need to compact it.
- Water the daffodils moderately again.
Before transplanting, the bulbs must be dried in a cool room with good ventilation and away from direct sunlight.
Transplanting into a pot
It is recommended to update daffodils in pots annually. In captivity, the bulbs remain viable for up to three years, but the decorative properties of the plants suffer greatly after the first flowering. To ensure the appearance of buds every season, replanting should not be neglected.
The rule of planting the bulb to a depth three times its height also applies here, so the pot must be deep enough.Its diameter depends on the number of daffodils that are planned to be transplanted here. A prerequisite is the presence of holes for drainage.
In stores you can purchase a special substrate for indoor bulbous plants. Its homemade analogue is a mixture of high grass turf with humus (or rotted compost) and coarse sand (2:2:1). Such soil must be disinfected in any way.
When transplanted into a pot, daffodils also need to be discarded and pre-planted with antifungal drugs. If desired, gardeners additionally soak them in a biostimulator solution, only then dry them.
The transplant procedure is standard:
- Place a layer of drainage material 2-3 cm thick on the bottom of the pot.
- Fill it about a third or half with substrate.
- Water the soil moderately and allow the water to soak in.
- Plant the daffodil bottom down and press lightly into the soil.
- Cover with substrate and water moderately again without compacting it.
When transplanting daffodils into pots at the optimal time (late summer or early autumn), they are kept in a cool (10-12 ° C) warm place for the next 3-3.5 months. Care is limited to rare (once every 12-15 days) watering. Then the pot is transferred to a bright, warm place.
It is not advisable to place the pot next to a radiator or other heating device; this will slow down the flowering of the daffodil
How often to replant daffodils
The approximate interval between transplants of daffodils is 4-5 years, but here much depends on the activity of specific varieties in terms of the formation of daughter bulbs. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the plants in the flowerbed and their decorative properties.The fact that daffodils are cramped and require a transplant is evidenced by:
- reduction in the number of buds (or their complete absence);
- small, deformed flowers;
- rosettes overlapping each other, tangled leaves;
- plants spreading beyond the boundaries of their designated area.
If there is crowding in the flowerbed, transplanting daffodils is carried out as soon as possible, without waiting until the bulbs are very weak
When not to replant a flower
After transplanting the daughter bulbs, you should not disturb them for at least three years. They bloom for the first time only after two seasons, and begin to form their own children no earlier than another year.
During the season, the most inappropriate time to transplant daffodils, other than flowering, is the period immediately after it (in June) and late autumn. In the first case, at least six weeks must pass from the moment the buds wither. In the second, the bulb is guaranteed not to survive, since it will have practically no time to adapt to the changed environment and prepare for winter.
Aftercare
Caring for daffodils after transplanting in the fall will not take much effort from the gardener. Fertilizing is excluded at this time; everything necessary is added to the soil during the preparation process. Watering is limited as the surface layer of soil dries out, if the end of summer and beginning of autumn are dry and warm.
Water daffodils moderately after transplanting. Water must be used that has been settled or softened in some other way and heated to room temperature.
Approximately 15-20 days before the first frost, the flower bed with daffodils is mulched. You can do without this only in warm southern regions, in the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East, shelter for the winter is mandatory. In temperate climates, they rely on long-term weather forecasts and the cold resistance of a particular variety, but in the first season after transplanting, it is still recommended to play it safe.
Any material is suitable as mulch - you need to create a layer 8-10 cm thick
Common Mistakes
Transplanting daffodils is an objectively simple procedure. However, it is quite possible for novice gardeners to make mistakes. The most common ones are:
- Too frequent transfers or, on the contrary, excessively long breaks between them. In the first case, daffodils, in fact, live in a state of constant stress, in the second, the bulbs do not receive enough nutrients for a long time due to the presence of many competitors.
- Neglecting the optimal timing for transplantation. In the best case, for daffodils moved to a new place at the wrong time, flowering is delayed for 1-2 seasons, in the worst case, the bulbs die altogether.
- Overly active grooming. After transplanting, the bulbs should simply be left alone, giving them the opportunity to grow new roots. The only thing that is required from the gardener is watering.
- Too deep or, conversely, shallow holes.In the first case, seedlings appear slowly, flowering is delayed, and the normal development cycle of the plant is disrupted. In the second, the risk of daffodil bulbs freezing in the winter immediately after transplantation greatly increases.
Planting depth is very important for any bulbous flowers, daffodils are no exception.
Conclusion
To maintain the decorative appearance of the flower bed and the abundance of flowering, it is necessary to replant daffodils regularly. The approximate interval between procedures is 4-5 years, but the condition of the plants must also be taken into account; their appearance may clearly indicate crowding in the flowerbed. Transplanting daffodils is a simple procedure, but it will benefit the plants only if you familiarize yourself with all the important nuances in advance.
