daffodil clumps...how long

Hi,
This is the first year I have ever planted daffodils! I planted them in January. They are just now starting to flower. I was wondering how long it takes before they will become nice little 'clumps' instead of looking more 'single'. They are the King Alfred type. I planted anywhere from 3 to 5 bulbs spaced from 3 to 6 inched apart.

Thanks for your input!
Sherry ;o)

Since no one else has replied, I'll just tell of my experience with daffodils. I planted some for the first time about 9 years ago, the same variety and pretty much like you in terms of numbers and spacing. Actually, I did it in a few locations because I just bought my property (it was October), and I wasn't sure where the best place was to plant them. Reason I mention that part is because I had varying results. Some places they didn't even flower. So depending on how ideal a location you have (a sunny location is very important), and whatever else contributes to good healthy growth, they should take 3 to 6 years to bunch up, or about doubling each year or other year.

Hi, Sherrygirl, Good luck with your daffs. It sounds like you are off to a good start.

If you give them a dose of liquid fertilizer 'for flowers' (high in P and K) when they first come up before they bloom, some say that helps them make nice big bulbs for next year. (And don't forget to let the leaves stay on the plant for 6 to 8 weeks after bloom and keep your bulb bed dry in summer).

t.

T. that's a very interesting tip. I hope I remember it next year.

sherrygirl, the reason I didn't answer was b/c I couldn't make a sweeping statement about daffs clumping up. As rockgardner said, in my experience, some clumped up in 2 yrs and some didn't even show. I do try to look for those described as suitable for my area and vigorous, but even then, growth rates have not been predictable so far.

rockgardner,
Thank you very much for your experience with your daffodils..That was just the information I was looking for, just to get some kind of idea about how mine would perform. I appreciate it. ;o)

tabasco,
Thank you for the info on the fertilizer (although they are already blooming). ;o) And I will definitely let the leaves stay on until they die off. Probably won't look too good, but oh well, because they are mostly near the front edge on both sides of a curvy bed. But it was the only place I had room to put them because they're in a mixed bed with tulips, iris, lilies, daylilies and asters.

vossner,
That's okay. I think they will do okay because they are blooming now and I just planted them in January. Hopefully they will clump up in no time! ;o) (well, maybe a little time..hehe)

Here's a picture of them on March 30. And they are getting taller and more opening everyday.

Thanks guys,
Sherry

Sherry... tabasco was right, you are off to a great start. Assuming they'll get plenty of sun, they'll fill up just nicely in a year or two. Btw, that's the nicest cement (?) garden border I've ever seen. I would have never thought it could be done to look so good.

rockgardener,

Thanks for the encouragement! And that is a full sun area mostly, so they will get plenty of sun.

And thank you for the nice compliment about my concrete (yes, it's concrete) border. ;o) I do love it because it makes such a nice, neat edge and it's permanent. I have another garden bed that is kind of like a figure 8 shape and then the garden in the back yard is edged with it too.

Sherry

Ditto that on the cement border ... very nice!

thritto