The technically minded say narcissus, the more poetically inclined say daffodil, and there are those, too, who prefer jonquil to either. But whatever name they use they all have in mind the loveliest of all the harbingers of spring.
As to the correctness of names, narcissus is the correct botanical or Latin name for the entire group. Daffodil is its correct English equivalent, though some prefer to call the large trumpet varieties daffodils and all the short-cup varieties narcissus. Jonquil, however, is correct only when applied to the species Narcissus jonquilla (which has small flowers and thin, reed-like leaves) or to hybrids derived from this species.
Daffodils Show Off Best In Naturalistic Plantings
All narcissus or daffodils are shown off to best advantage in naturalistic plantings. However, most of them are perfectly suited to use in clumps in the perennial border or for planting in formal beds for both garden effect and for cut flowers. Among the entire group, in fact, there are varieties that can be used for almost every conceivable garden situation. So don’t, whatever you do, let the lack of a field or a piece of woodland for naturalistic planting prevent you from enjoying the delights of growing daffodils.
Choosing a location. Almost all varieties of narcissus do well and are extremely beautiful in thin woodland areas under deep-rooting deciduous trees such as the oaks and birches. They should not, however, be planted under shallow rooting trees like the maples, because these trees have their root systems too near the surface and use up too much of the moisture and plant food needed for the growth and development of daffodil bulbs.
Growing In Light Shading
The light shading afforded by the tree branches (they are not in leaf at the time the daffodils flower) is a help rather than a hindrance, for it protects the choice red-cupped varieties which often show sun-scald when grown in the open. Where there are natural rock formations in woodland areas, daffodils planted around the rocks will look unusually beautiful, and the shade afforded by the rocks makes their northern and eastern exposures ideal for the red-cupped varieties. (Conversely, of course, when making plantings in the open it’s best to avoid varieties that have much red in the cup.)
If you plant daffodils along a brook or lake, you will agree with Wordsworth that they “flutter and dance” beside water, and their sparkle is doubled in the reflections. And, too, they will grow vigorously with the natural moisture in the soil along the bank. They will not be happy, however, under evergreens, although on the fringe of an evergreen planting they will thrive and will be beautifully silhouetted against the dark green of the foliage.
Naturalized bulbs must be planted in areas that can be left uncut until about July 15, because after blooming the foliage must be left on so that the plant can build up a large flowering bulb for the following year. When they are planted in lawns and the foliage is cut over as soon as flowering is finished, the bulbs will not develop and will soon be killed.
Soil Fertility
Daffodils are not fussy as to soil, but like other plants they do best in a good, fertile soil. They dislike a dry location, vs under some types of trees, and of course extreme dryness is often also an indication of low soil fertility. If a dry spot can be sprinkled, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be planted, though if the planting is to be scattered over a large area it’s better to work around any dry sections. If the soil is too poor or too dry, the bulbs will gradually disappear. Under ideal conditions, on the other band, they will double or triple every few years.
In woodland areas, humus is built up naturally over the years and the soil is thus enriched, making what is generally an ideal soil condition for bulbs. A good stand of grass on a piece of land usually- indicates good soil suitable for daffodils. But even in poor soil daffodils will survive and give good blooms if fed liberally once or twice a year.
As to fertilizers, my recommendation would be a good, specially prepared bulb food, but when that is not available a good all-round vegetable or potato fertilizer will do fine. If you are fortunate enough to have cow manure at hand, this can be used as a mulch over the bulbs in the fall; then in the spring the coarse material can be raked away. My method of feeding is to sprinkle a generous amount of bulb food over the area and permit the rains to wash it down to the roots.
As a rule it is best to do this job in the fall, as it will have the long winter to benefit the bulbs. If it seems more convenient, however, it can be applied just as well in the early spring.
How To Plant
No special preparation of the ground is necessary for naturalized bulbs, and the only tool required is a spade or a grub hoe. You simply cut a small sod the width of the spade and 3 or 4 inches wide, and then dig a hole 5 or 6 inches deep. The bulb is inserted, covered with the soil and the sod replaced and pressed back into place with your foot. When we are planting thousands of bulbs at a time, we use the grub hoe. One man digs the holes and a second man puts in the bulbs and replaces the soil and sod. Of course you can purchase such a thing as a bulb-planter, but unless you have ideal, root-free soil it will not be very practical.
If the area to be planted is crowded with weeds, honeysuckle, poison ivy and the like, it will need to be cleared first. The weeds can be grubbed out or you could use the new 2,4-D weed-killer preparations. In such a ease it would be well to seed the area either before or after planting with a pasture type grass seed. When bulbs are planted in areas that have little or no sod, or if they are grown under cultivation in beds, they require protection with salt hay or leaves during the winter, particularly their first winter.
Planting For Effect
I like to plant daffodils in drifts, grouped as nature might have done if she had had a hand in the job, and I think they are more effective when each variety is grouped one variety to a drift. Always consider types as well as colors when planning the groups. Red-cupped varieties will need to go into the northern or eastern locations, and for contrast plan small groupings of trumpets here and there between the short-cup varieties. Vary the size and shape of the groups, and if you are planning a sufficient number of bulbs and the extent of the planting warrants it, make more than one group of a variety.
Make the most of your terrain, fitting them into the various nooks, open spots, slopes, etc. Do not allow the varieties to run into each other unless you have n special spot where several varieties would look particularly well when grouped side by side. I like to space them so that it is possible to walk between the varieties, yet at the same time to be able to have a mass effect from several angles. The bulbs should be planted 8 to 12 inches apart, closer together in the middle of the group and somewhat spread out on the fringe. If only a hundred or so bulbs are being planted, ‘each one fore you start planting. When thousands are being put in at a time, I scatter them over the area approximately where they will be planted, and then space them out to the proper distances as I go along.
Planting Time – September or October
Planting time is in September or October, and the earlier the bulbs are ordered the better. The best bulbs are always sold first. Buy from a reputable bulb grower or dealer and don’t look for bargains. Bargain bulbs are likely to be small and may take a year or two to flower, whereas top-size or “mother” bulbs flower the first year. A good bulb multiplies rapidly.
When to Lift Bulbs
Very often the question is asked, Do you dig up the bulbs every year? The answer is positively no. They should not be disturbed until the planting becomes too thick, and even for the more prolific varieties this will not be until 8 to 10 years after planting. When thinning is required it should be done after July 1st, but before the foliage dies down completely so that it is still possible to find the clumps. The entire bed should be lifted, thinned and replanted in a new spot. Do not separate all the bulbs, but allow three or four to cling together. Space them in the new bed as they were spaced originally.
In the Northeast daffodils reach their peak blooming period the latter part of April and will last until the middle of May, but by selecting the right varieties it is possible to have them in bloom as early as the middle of March.
by J Jack – 62878
