Daffodil – planting and care

Scientific name (Latin): Narcissus pseudonarcissus

Family: Amaryllis plants (Amaryllidaceae)

Around Easter, we see the daffodil almost everywhere, both in gardens, where perhaps last year's bulbs are blooming again, and in various decorative flower arrangements on kitchen tables, patios, and entrances.

For those of you who have daffodils in your garden, it can be wonderful to know that they are left in peace by the otherwise so hungry deer, who literally detest the scent, and therefore avoid the daffodils. Replenish every year by planting your daffodils after flowering, and you will soon have a beautiful carpet full of these yellow beauties.

You can propagate the daffodil with both seeds and bulbs, and if you have a space available in the garden or on the lawn where you can offer some shade and moisture, you have good conditions for successfully growing daffodils. However, propagating daffodils by using bulbs instead of seeds is preferable for those who cultivate privately, as it can take up to 5 years before you get a fully grown and flowering plant if you start from seed.

• In early autumn, it's time to plant your bulbs so that they have time to establish themselves properly before winter.
• Plant the bulbs approximately 15 cm deep, with a spacing of 10 cm. Very small bulbs can be planted a little shallower. Mix some bone meal into the planting hole to give your bulbs good fertilizer.
• To give your daffodil the best conditions to grow, we recommend that you use soil that is moderately nutrient-rich, humus-rich, and well-drained.
• In terms of placement, the daffodil thrives in sun to partial shade, and if you have a spot under a tree or bush, this is excellent for the daffodil to grow, as it gets some natural shade here.
• Water your daffodils via the soil, and not directly on the bulbs. If there should be a real drought, you can advantageously continue to water your daffodils a little lightly during the summer, but otherwise they manage well in our natural climate.
• Towards spring, you can fertilize a little again with bone meal, and possibly also with some well-rotted manure.

For those of you who have daffodils indoors in pots, it's mostly about finding the right placement for the pots and making sure to keep the soil lightly moist. However, never water directly on the bulbs, but try to water as far out on the edge as possible – directly on the soil. In terms of placement, they prefer to be in a bright spot, but not directly in a window. This can get too hot, and they will quickly finish flowering. Take care of the daffodil by cutting off the flowers just after they have withered.

For your outdoor plants, spring fertilization with bone meal and well-rotted horse manure is beneficial, though excessive nutrients aren't necessary. After approximately 4–5 years, flowering may decrease, but this is not always permanent. When flowering is delayed, lift the bulbs and divide them by separating the side bulbs from the mother bulb. Replant the side bulbs immediately to prevent them from drying out.

The best thing about daffodils is that they're perennials, so they can brighten up your flower bed or lawn for years to come. Once they've finished flowering after Easter, simply plant your daffodil in the garden bed, and it will come up again next year, around Easter time – decorating your garden with its lovely yellow color. But daffodils are just as great indoors, in stylish Easter arrangements and displays – where the yellow shades are also perfect for Easter.

Daffodils have been cultivated here in the Nordic region since as early as the 16th century, and since then, the selection of different varieties has only increased. Today, there's a huge range of daffodils available, both in terms of color and shape. It's estimated that there are nearly 6,000 different varieties of daffodil, and as many as 13,000 hybrids. It's easy to imagine that this yellow beauty got its Latin name from the god who was in love with himself in Greek mythology, but that's not the case. Instead, it comes from the Greek 'narke', which means numbness or paralysis, a result of the past use of daffodil decoctions to create calming and paralyzing effects for medicinal purposes.

• The entire daffodil plant is poisonous.
• It grows to approximately 20–50 cm in height.
• It has a pale yellow flower at the top of the stem, with a lemon-yellow, trumpet-like corona.
• Hardy up to growing zone 5.
• A perennial plant that can be planted in the garden after flowering.
• There are thousands of cultivated varieties of daffodil.
• Easy to propagate by bulbs.

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