How to feed daffodils: in spring, before and after flowering

Content

1 What substances do narcissists need?
2 Fertilizing bulbs of different sizes
3 How to fertilize daffodils
4 Common mistakes gardeners make
5 The use of daffodils in landscape design
6 Conclusion

It is important to feed daffodils so that they bloom profusely and beautifully in the flowerbed on time and in accordance with agrotechnical rules. This ornamental crop blooms in the spring, so it is one of the first to be fertilized. The process of growing a flower itself is not considered difficult; the plant is quite unpretentious and requires standard care.

Daffodils represent a wide variety of varieties, which may not be similar in appearance to each other.

What substances do narcissists need?

In order to properly fertilize daffodils in the spring, you should know what substances this ornamental crop needs. Immediately after the snow melts, to stimulate abundant budding and active development of flowers, it needs to be fed with complex fertilizers containing potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. After the narcissus flowers wither, the plant will need to restore the supply of nutrients in the tubers, so it should be fed with phosphorus and potassium. And in the autumn, organic and mineral compounds will be needed to strengthen the bulbs.

Important! If fertilizing is carried out rarely or is not added to the soil at all, the crop will develop poorly, grow slowly, bloom not abundantly and with small buds, and in poor soil it may even die.

Daffodils are valued by gardeners for their early flowering, elegant appearance and pleasant aroma.

Fertilizing bulbs of different sizes

Few people know, but the number of feedings for daffodils depends on the size of their heads. It will be enough to feed non-flowering young plants twice a season. It is advisable to apply fertilizers for the first time at the very beginning of spring in dry form, and the second time - a couple of weeks after that with a liquid composition. When the bulbs grow, usually next year, they should be fed three to four times a year:

before flowering (1-2 times);
after flowering;
before the cold weather arrives.

Gardeners should keep in mind that the lack of fertilizing rarely causes the death of flowers, but without them it will be impossible to achieve bright and lush flowering.

Warning! A deficiency of nutrients or errors in fertilizing the crop only manifest themselves in the next season, since in the current season the daffodil uses up the supply of substances accumulated last year.

Every four years, daffodil bulbs should be transplanted to a new place so that they are not crowded

How to fertilize daffodils

Daffodils are very beautiful flowers that are often used in landscape design. But, despite their unpretentiousness, they need fertilizer almost throughout the entire growing season. Daffodils should be fed in spring (twice) and autumn. Phosphorus and potassium preparations, superphosphates, monophosphates, wood ash, and humus are most often used as nutritional compositions.

Warning! If you neglect to fertilize the crop, its bulbs will become distorted, and the buds will become smaller and acquire a pale and inconspicuous color.

How to feed daffodils in early spring

The first step is to feed daffodils for lush flowering in the spring, as soon as the snow melts and it becomes possible to loosen the soil. This is important because the plant is currently beginning to actively develop and increase its green mass. To speed up these processes, as well as to wake up the flowers after winter, it is recommended to feed them with organic substances.

You can use a complex self-prepared fertilizer, which is made as follows:

Add 5 g of superphosphate, urea and potassium sulfate to a bucket of settled warm water.
The solution is thoroughly mixed.
Leave covered for 4-6 hours.
Water the flower beds with daffodils with the mixture.

If you feed plants with this product, they will receive all the substances necessary for normal development, namely nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It will also be useful for flowers to be dusted with wood ash every two weeks.

Warning! In the case when daffodils grow in lowlands, it is better to feed them with dry minerals, simply scattering them around the plants and covering them by loosening.

A few weeks later, when the leaf plates of the flower have grown to 6 cm in length, it is good to feed them again. To do this, it is better to take special complex preparations intended for bulbous perennials, either Nitrophoska or Ammofoska.

In spring, the crop needs all components, so it needs to be fertilized comprehensively

How to feed daffodils after flowering

For healthy growth and development, it is important not only to feed daffodils in the spring, but also to fertilize them after flowering.During the budding period, the crop is severely depleted and deprived of almost all its nutrient reserves. Therefore, in the first days of summer or at the very end of spring, when all the daffodil buds have withered, they should be fed again. The procedure will help provide the culture with the elements spent on forcing. Tools such as:

Potassium monophosphate. Fertilizer helps restore the plant's strength and replenish its potassium deficiency. The solution is prepared from 1 liter of water and 10 g of the substance, then it is brought to a volume of 10 liters and watered. When dry, spread over the surface of the soil.
Infusion of ash. It contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium and many other useful substances. If the weather is dry, then a solution is prepared for fertilizer from a glass of ash and 10 liters of water, then it is mixed well and poured into the flower beds. If it’s rainy, then the ash is simply scattered over the garden bed.

Comment! When you decide to feed flowers with minerals, you should keep in mind that they do not dissolve very well in water, which is why it is recommended to mix them more thoroughly to prevent sediment from appearing.

How to fertilize daffodils in the fall

With the arrival of September, when almost all the leaves of the daffodils have dried, the plants will begin to prepare for hibernation and enter a state of rest; it is also recommended to feed them. This is done to strengthen the bulbs, stimulate root growth, and increase their resistance to cold, since in the fall mineral and organic substances increase the frost resistance of the crop and increase its resistance. At this time of year, gardeners use one of the following:

Humus. Add in October, before frost, to moist soil. Feed by distributing 10 kg of the substance over an area of 1 square meter.m. After application, the flowerbed is lightly dug up.
Superphosphates. Granules that contain a lot of phosphorus, as well as other elements. They feed plants in dry form at the rate of 30 g per square meter of area (when using double superphosphate, the rate is halved). The flower beds are watered beforehand and then loosened after work.

If you feed daffodils with humus in the fall, this will provide them with additional warmth.

Common mistakes gardeners make

To ensure that the decision to feed daffodils does not bring trouble and meets the gardener’s expectations, it is important to avoid common mistakes and follow the recommended rules when growing the crop:

Fertilizers for daffodils are applied according to the instructions, as recommended by the manufacturer. It’s not as scary to underfeed flowers as to overfeed them.
During spring work, monitor the acidity of the soil so that fertilizing does not change its composition. Soil for daffodils should have a pH between 6.5 and 7.
Do not feed the crop with fresh manure, ammonia or pure urea, as the plant may die or form a lush green mass without flowers.
Never mix wood ash with nitrogen fertilizers.
Before planting, the bulbs must be treated with fungicides.
Since daffodils grow quickly, they are not planted closely so that the roots do not intertwine with neighboring flowers.
The crop is not pruned. After flowering, the leaves and buds of daffodils should dry out naturally. Otherwise, a flower embryo may not form in the head, and next year the plant will be left without buds.
Daffodils should not be overwatered. Excess moisture is detrimental to this ornamental plant.

The use of daffodils in landscape design

Daffodils are primroses that are very popular among gardeners and summer residents. These flowers look great both in flower beds and in flower arrangements, and are used for cutting. With their help, alpine slides, alleys, and borders are designed. Many people grow them in pots and large flowerpots, where they look quite unusual. Some summer residents plant daffodils along hedges and low fences, use them to decorate the entrance to the house, and decorate terraces and gazebos.

Tulips are most often chosen as neighbors for culture; they are considered a classic pair that blooms their buds almost simultaneously. In addition, these crops can be fed together, since they need the same nutrients. Narcissus looks beautiful in the company of delicate small flowers, crocuses, snowdrops, and muscari. Late varieties are often planted in the same flower bed with brunnera and primroses.

Comment! Since the leaf blades of daffodils cannot be cut off after the buds have faded, it is advisable to plant plants with thick green mass as their neighbors so that it disguises the fading leaves of the primrose.

Narcissus is a perennial crop that can often be found in landscape arrangements.

Conclusion

Feeding daffodils in spring and autumn is necessary for their abundant and longest flowering. The procedure should be carried out correctly, in accordance with the schedule and basic requirements. For each feeding you need to select the recommended compositions.