Is it too late to plant daffodils?

Zone 6. They've been sitting in the garage, so they haven't frozen over, but the outside temps are flirting with freezing at night. 60's during the day. Expecting a hard freeze sometime in the next several weeks. With moving to a new place and all, it seems like getting these in the ground keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list. THIS WEEKEND for sure, if it isn't too late already.

As long as the ground isn't so frozen that you can't dig, it's a fine time to plant daffs!

We want to see pictures of your new place in spring when your new bulbs pop up! Hope you're settling in easily.

Naw - I still have 75 tulips & 60 Siberian Squill to get in the ground, & nighttime temps here have been in the 30's regularly. So long as the ground isn't frozen solid you're safe.

I was given around 100 bulbs from a friend that moved and was wondering how deep to plant them.He had them in shade and the all looked beautiful every spring.Most where blue,if that helps.Is there a rule of thumb planting them?Thanks in advance for any help.

Since you are in the South I would make a hole 8 inches deep. If they are in the shade, you can do 6 or 7 inches deep. Make sure the drainage ik perfect an do give them some fertilizer now and in the Spring when they come up and again right after flowering.

Thanks Bleek for the info.By the way I see the map Im in zone 8b so 6 inches should be good.I hope it is cause that is as far as the area got tilled.Thanks again.

8b is 6 inches deep, where did you get that from? You can do 6 inches as long as you put some mulch on top, like 2 inches. Or are they going to be in the shade?

They will be in mostly shade and on the northeast side of the yard.Got them from a neighbor that loved his garden and gave them to me as he said to keep them in the neighborhood. Didnt know him to well but his lawn and gardens were great so I guess he knew a lot about what Im just starting at.He was maybe 80 and we only said hello a few times.The bags he gave to me look like they came from a garden center and the bulubs look just as good.Hope I can make them grow.

Bleek,I found the map on this board.As the crow flies I live about 50 miles from Myrtle beach so we dont get that cold.8b is what the map says so Im going with what you say and 6 in and 2 in mulch.Thanks again.

Bulb-planting depth also depends on the bulb type, as well as the location/climate. Do you know what they are? If deep blue, I'm thinking perhaps the Siberian Squill that I'll be planting. Do the bulbs have a maroonish paper covering?

The basic guideline for bulb-planting is usually 3 times the height of the bulb, but that can be increased considerably for bulbs that you wish to naturalize. For instance, many tulips can be convinced to return for longer periods of time if planted a bit deeper than the norm.

Thanks for all the info! They are going in the ground tomorrow!

By the way, if I plant my daffs a little deeper, will they be more inclined to naturalize, too?

From what I've read & experienced myself - yes.

Thanks Breezy,about 3/4 of these bulbs are maroonish with an onion type outer dry skin and about the size of a quarter.I think you are right.Ill get them in the ground today.Again thanx

Yup - sounds identical to my Siberial Squill bulbs. They're lovely & you'll love them!!

Hi
that is correct about the planting depth, although there are exceptions to the rule. These we call bluebells, but then there is the English bluebell and the Spanish one, generally called the scilla. i live in zone 8a-b and have some under a huge horse chestnut tree, some around the trunk, some on a bank at canopy edge. They are very forgiving, some of mine end up on the surface but still carry on, they also set seed quite easily and you will find you end up with a lot more than you started with. It is illegal in this country to remove the English bluebell, a measure to protect them.

Soil type does make a differece, generally bulbs can be planted a little deeper in very sandy soils, shallower in heavy soils. Drainage is often important with bulbs, most don't like to be too wet and tulips if cultivated need a good baking or drying out in summer in order to replicate their natural growing conditions, such as in the mediterranean, otherwise will fail. This is why most are lifted for summer until autumn planting. I have some parrot tulips in a raised bed between hosta plants, with very free draining gritty soil and leaf compost. The hostas take the moisture in the summer so the tulips can dry out. They won't necessarily flower every year, but after the right conditions and they have had a good rest will return full of vigour.
Species tulips, the dwarf ones, are different. Most naturalise well and should be left in the ground. Some bulbs, in particular some arisaemas, need deep planting, again it depends on the variety as many come from different origins. Here is a link on the scilla expaining it all quite well
http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Features/bulbs/scilla%20siberica/scilla%20sibirica.htm

I've kind of got the same question. Today at Walmart I found about 8 bags of pink daffodil bulbs (50 each). I ask the manager for a discount on them since it was so late in the season for planting. I bought them for 3.50 per bag. Not too bad a deal. So here I am today, planting them on November 27th. The grounds not frozen. So what do you think my chances are of them coming up? Oh, I'm in St. Louis, MO Thanks

Crystal

Hi
not in zone 6a here, more like 8a, but daffodils can be planted quite deep to stay out of the frost any time over winter normally if ground isn't frozen, they are quite good at recovering from late planting. better in the ground than out, and as you have them best get them in ASAP, so they can establish ready for that spring show.

janet

Crystal, they'll do just fine! (and what a deal you got!!)

:-)

Thanks for responding. They are snug in their winter holes. Tonight we are expecting a light snow. Planted just in time.

Crystal

I just planted 'Pipit' and 'Lemon Beauty' narcissus today, and on the packages (from EasyToGrowBulbs) it said to plant them 2-3" deep. I put them just a little bit deeper, but not much. Now I'm afraid I should have gone deeper. I hate the thought of going out there and digging them up and replanting them. Please tell me they'll be okay!

kbaumle.. they'll be ok! you could mulch them and they'll think they are a bit deeper, and the frost won't bother them as much...

My mom (she's a MG) says they'll freeze, but I'm going to take your advice and mulch them, because it's 17° out there right now and I don't relish the thought of digging them up! The ones out front are planted under vinca vines, so I think that will also help them to stay more protected.

The Pipits were pretty small for daffodil bulbs, but the Lemon Beauty ones were really big. I should know better, that those should have been planted deeper. Where I put them, I can actually add some soil to the top, too. I think I'll do both.

Thanks for the encouragement!

KB, do you mean you dug the hole 2-3 inches deep, or that there are 2-3 inches of soil on top of the bulb?

Directions for daffs sometimes say to plant them in a hole 3 times as deep as the bulb is tall (so for a 2 inch bulb, that means a 6 inch deep hole, or 4 inches of soil on top of the bulb). If I plant them that deep in my clay soil, I never see them again. I generally plant daffs so the top of the bulb is 2 inches or so below the soil surface, with an inch or two of mulch on top of that.

I did mine just like you do. :-) Of course, I'm a whole zone colder than you are. I think they'll be fine since I went out and put more soil on top of them and mulched them. And right now, they've got a couple of inches of snow on top of that.

kbaumle, I'm sure your daffs will be fine. I've forgotten bulbs laying on the ground exposed to the elements all winter and they still bloomed in spring. They must be tough!
Neal

Oh well, then! LOL!