Daffodil question - mow?

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NDFarmgirl Page, ND Oct 23, 2008

I was wondering about daffodils planted within the grass. Will these be done by the time the grass needs to be mowed? I came across a beautiful 'story' with pictures called the Daffodil Principle. I live on a farm and would love to plant hundreds of daffodils each fall.

http://www.magic-city-news.com/Outdoors_16/The_Daffodil_Principle9921.shtml

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kwanjin (Zone 7a) Oct 23, 2008

Wonderful story. Thanks for sharing it.

As to your question...the daffs will be done blooming but they need their foliage until it turns brown. They store food for next year in them. If it's cut down too early, not enough food will be stored.

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JuneyBug Dover AFB, DE(Zone 7a) Oct 23, 2008

It is so beautiful to have the daff's and tulips in the grass though. We have always just mowed around them for a few weeks. It is so very much worth it. The tulips that my DH loves do not do well in our flower beds because we water them deeply all summer long. This compromise works well.

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gloria125 Greensboro, AL Oct 23, 2008

There is a historic house here that has about 8 acres of daffodils - planted about 1948. Each year they were more wonderful than the last. Until ... someone in the city government decided they should be mowed. They dwindled away and now only a few bloom in the spring.

All bulbs planted in grass need to have their leaves protected from mowing. Possibly if the mowing was high enough, it wouldn't damage the plants. But mowing at 1 inch or so - the level of short grass will kill the daffodils.

In Alabama, daffodils need to be protected from mowers until about August. By then they are dormant and can stand to be mowed.

The standard of mowing grass is a recent phenomenon in this country and in many areas of Europe they just don't do it. They would rather have the flowers.

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