best daffs for multiplying

I am putting together a fall order and I would like to know which daffs to order. I would like large flowers and would like to know which ones do well and are good multipliers. I know for sure I want some real white ones similar to White Ideal. Does anybody know of any similar to these?

Find Daffodils that are 14-16cm in size.
Many may be doubles or even triples.
The larger the bulb, the stronger the flower.

check back with me in October too.

What about tulip bulbs?

Have you considered Mount Hood. It spreads very nicely, and does well in the south. It starts out with a yellow cup and morphs to white. Here is a pic that shows it during the color change.

And after. It stays in bloom a long time. I love it.

Donna,
I did read that Mount Hood was a good one, and I think I will give them a try.

Great! It really is a wonderful daff. It's an heirloom. Widely available. Sometimes the old ones stay around because they are really wonderful. This is one of those.

Donna

I got a few Ice Follies in a trade. I hope they multiply well. What about Thalia daffs?

I love and purchased two sets of Thalia, and it has a great reputation with many (some very knowlegable and great gardeners on DG swear by it), but for some reason it never persisted in my garden. Neither has ANY triandrus daff, and I installed Tresamble, Silk Shot and Thalia, which are all in that category, and they all either bloomed for a couple of years, at best, and disappeared. I noticed that on one site the hardiness zone was listed as 5c, and I am 5a.

It would certainly be worth a try, especially if you can get them in trade. And do bear in mind that they face downward, not out, so a slightly raised surface would suit them very well.

Again, others have had great experience. Worth a try.

Donna

You may want to check out Brent&Becky's list of Daffodils for southern gardens, some varieties prefer longer, colder winters than others. I have good luck with 'Mt.Hood' too, but I have read that it performs better in northern climates. I also have good results from 'Thalia', which is listed as a good one for the south. From Donna's experience with them, I kinda think I'm near the northern limit of their preferred range.

Thanks gemini_sage. Do you think Darwin tulips would do good here?

ange, if I were you, I'd treat tulips as annuals in your area, even species.

I figured so.

Yep, I think vossner's right on the Tulips, they can be hit and miss under the best cultural conditions. Perhaps you could trial a few and see what happens. Steve has pretty good luck with late singles returning in Ft. Worth, if your summers aren't too wet those might be worth a try.

ok

is there such a thing a late-late singles? I think that is what I saw being sold in Houston area and, like a sucker, I got some. They didn't show up even once.

Vossner, I wonder if they were pre-cooled? I've heard they have to go in the fridge for 6 weeks before planting down here.

I've never seen a classification "late late tulips", but there may some extra late blooming varieties being sold as such.

maybe that's what it was. i don't remember, I gave up on tulips a while back.
angedawn, I doubt the bulbs were pre-cooled. I remember getting them out of a bin.

I think that Steve is actually zone 7, I forget whether it is a or b. But a leap to 9a from either is quite a leap.

Besides, Steve has the power. I don't know if it's magic or voodoo, but things work for him that don't work for others!

If I dug the tulips up after they bloomed and the leaves turned yellow, and stored them in a cool place. What chances would I have that they would do well the next year, considering that I would pre-cool them again before planting.

Now THAT is a really interesting question. I dig up my bulbs and put them in the garage. They get their cooling period over winter and come back really well. It seems to me that you would be doing the same thing, and that it would work.

I'd be very interested in what others have to say.

Oh, and it occurs to me, reading your original question, that you wanted really big white daffs. Thalia is relatively diminutive at 14-16 inches. Mount Hood is 15-17 inches. I was just looking through Brent and Becky' book "Daffodils for North American Gardens", and they note that the Division 1 Trumpet (like Mt. Hood) is the best long term garden trumpet, and that puppy is 18-20 inches.

BTW, Mt. Hood opens with a creamy yellow cup that "matures" to white. EOI opens with a creamy cup that "promptly turns white" (B&B quotes).

Here is MH during the color change.

And after. It stays in bloom a long time for me.

donna, that is so nice. I don't think Mt Hood is suitable for southern gardens but I know that I saw one in the B&B catalog that was tall and suitable. I'll come back w/ a name.

Voss, there's southern and SOUTHERN. You are absolutely right. SteveFortWorth is actually in zone 7, and it's a big leap to 9. I think that I sometimes forget that.

Yep, zone 9a is almost tropical at times. I think sometimes people don't understand why I have to be careful about planting in this heat and humidity. And then there are some that think that I live in a swamp, because it's a South Louisiana thing. No swamps around here. No alligators in the yard or moss in the trees.

Angedawn, that is very funny! I've spent time in several places zone 8 and above, and they couldn't be more different - Seattle, Hawaii, and I think Pensacola, FL. Very, very different!

Yeah

I understand that Dutch Master is a good multiplier, and I can vouch for Ice Follies. My daughter gave me her surplus and I planted them around our complex; even the smaller ones bloomed. I think they increase like coat hangers in the closet!

Good, I have a few Ice Follies.