If you begin to notice that your daffodils are becoming less prolific year after year, it is likely time to transplant them. Daffodils propagate through vegetative reproduction, which means that one bulb can make exact duplicates of itself. These new bulbs will begin competing with the main bulb for nutrients, which can cause less flowering, stunted growth, and even no growth. Dividing your daffodils is an easy process gifting you with even more plants than you originally purchased.
How Often Should I Divide Daffodils?
How often you need to divide your daffodils will depend on how closely you planted them originally. If you planted a mass of bulbs together for that awesome pop of spring color, you would need to divide them more frequently. If you gave them plenty of room to grow, you would likely have to divide them every three to five years. The flowers themselves will let you know when they need to be divided and when they begin to look meager.
When Should I Transplant Daffodils?
You must wait until the daffodils have bloomed and the leaves have turned yellow. Allow a minimum of 6 weeks following blooming. This is usually early summer.
How Do I Divide Daffodils?
Once the leaves have turned yellow, leave them in place so you can easily locate your bulbs. Using a pitchfork or spade, dig around your mound. Dig in a wide pattern around the leaves so you do not accidentally hit and injure the bulbs. Dig carefully around the mass of bulbs until you can easily pry them free. Holding the clump by the leaves, shake vigorously to remove the dirt. Gently separate the bulbs. Keep healthy bulbs for transplanting, and discard any hollow bulbs, that look injured, or are not firm with a full set of roots.
Replanting New Daffodil Bulbs
For the best results, you need to plant your new bulbs immediately. They should be planted individually, one per site. Keep the leaves intact as they will continue to feed the bulbs until they wither and brown.
Resources
Jelinek, Roxann. “Daffodils.” Brown County’s Master Gardener’s Weeder’s Digest. The University of Minnesota, n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. www.extension.umn.edu/county/Brown/news/MasterGardenerSpring2010Newsletter.pdf
“THINK SPRING – THINK DAFFODILS.” East Texas Gardening. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. http://easttexasgardening.tamu.edu/tips/flowers/daffodil.html
