Friday, November 13, 2009

Prune a daffodil?

My friend gave me a daffodil for my birthday, a Tâte-a-Tâte I believe. It’s too cold for it to go outside but I’m afraid it’s dying. My room faces northeast and doesn’t get much light, so I put a lamp in there for it and added some food. I would like to know how to prune the poor thing. Do I take old blooms off or cut the whole stock? I’m so lost with this planet.

Prune a daffodil?
Cut off the flower and stalk but not the leaves. The leaves are it's food. Water it once a week until you can plant it outside with around 4 inches of soil over it. When the leaves turn brown and yellow, cut them off. Don't forget to water it for the rest of the year. You don't have to dig it up for the winter. It will bloom again next spring.
Reply:All bulb flowers go through a growth cycle. Yours is coming to the end of it when it will try to replenish the bulb (after bloom has faded) and then the leaves will yellow and die back. If you save the bulbs you can try planting them in the fall for POSSIBLE bloom next year, but most people just toss the bulbs once flowering is over because they aren't reliable bloomers the next year due to being forced into the early bloom you just enjoyed. I've had sporadic luck planting the bulbs in the fall.
Reply:If the flower is dead, cut it off. By removing the flower you are stopping the natural cycle of reproduction (producing seeds). Allow the plat to dry out and the leaves to brown, this will be sending nutrients back into the bulb. It won't be long until you can put it in the ground.


BUT, this bulb has been "forced" for enjoyment in the winter, indoors at the wrong time of year. It may not blossom for you again, but you have nothing to lose by trying to plant it when the weather is better. I have had luck with this before, but the bulb may need a year or two to get back to normal. Good luck, and have fun.
Reply:After it quits blooming, just let the leaves grow until they die off, then put in the ground anytime in the spring or summer before the bulb dries up. Will bloom next spring. If You don't have any place to plant it, just store it in a dark cabinet inside a sealed container, in not overly moist soil for about 5 or 6 months, then bring it back out to force it into growth again.


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