Growing Daffodils In Cold Northern Climates

I thought since I've written several pieces this autumn about growing daffodils in the south it was only fair to cover growing daffodils in cold climates. The good news for gardeners in the north is that most daffodils love growing in a cold climate. The freezing winters with frequent snow cover followed by cool springs are ideal for their growth and blooming. Success with daffodils for Northern gardeners is more a matter of culture than choosing particular types of daffodils. This post will help you with growing daffodils in your cold climate garden.

The most important first step for growing healthy daffodils is to start with quality bulbs. For gardeners in the north that means starting with Northern grown bulbs. Many of the same varieties that grow well in my Alabama garden will grow well in yours too but you really shouldn't start with bulbs grown in the south. The bulbs might do okay if you chill them but it's better to just buy bulbs that are acclimitized to the north.

In the south variety choice is everything when growing daffodils. In cold climates your planting practices will determine your success. The most important factor is planting your bulbs early enough to get established before the ground freezes. Some northern gardeners like to plant their flowering bulbs just before the first snow. It usually warms again after this early snow and this will help settle the bulbs into their new home.

After timing your planting correctly the next thing you must when planting daffodils in a cold garden is to make sure you plant them deeply enough. Large bulbs should be planted at least 6 inches deep. This is very important if your area experiences frequent freezing and thawing cycles. Weather like this can heave flower bulbs right out of the ground.

Mulch,mulch,mulch. This is very important. You can use shredded or partially composted leaves or straw. This will insulate your soil and make that nasty heaving less likely.

Now for the fun part. Your cool springs mean you can grow almost any daffodil variety in your cold climate garden. Narcissus types such as poet's daffodils, split corona daffodils, and late flowering double types will thrive and last much longer in your garden than they would in warmer regions. You should also try a few pink-cupped varieties. They will produce much more vivid colors for you than they do in the south where they often fade in the heat.

Wow! This has turned into a much longer post than I intended and I have even more to share with you about growing daffodils in cold climate gardens. For even more information including more suggestions about particular varieties of daffodils that are great for northern gardens (and where you can still buy some if you haven't already) head on over to my new Squidoo lens Daffodils For Cold Climates.