Blind Daffodils:What Are The Causes?

Are some of your daffodils just not blooming this year? If your bulbs put out plenty of leaves but no blooms this is referred to as "growing blind". Blind daffodils can be caused by several factors and these are some of the most common ones:

Bulbs That Weren't Planted Deeply Enough Often Grow Blind

The most common cause of blind daffodils is bulbs that are not planted deeply enough.Daffodil bulbs need to be planted at least 4 inches deep for small types and 6-8 inches deep for larger bulbs. If you have a planting of daffodils that has never bloomed well,this is probably the cause. If your bulbs bloomed fine the first year but have never bloomed again it's possible that the top level of soil has been washed away by heavy winter rains. Freezing and thawing of the soil can also cause bulbs to work their way closer to the surface. If you suspect your bulbs aren't planted deeply enough you can either dig them up and plant them a little deeper or add several inches of compost to the surface of your flower beds.

Blind Daffodils May Be Getting Too Much Nitrogen

Overfeeding your daffodils with a fertilizer high in nitrogen will cause lots of lush leaf growth and few if any flowers. The only time flowering bulbs really need a nitrogen feeding is right after they bloom. Excess nitrogen could be the reason your bulbs are growing blind if the leaves are much darker than normal. You may also notice that the leaves seem soft and easily damaged by frost.

If you haven't used a high nitrogen fertilizer directly on your bulbs this problem could be caused by fertilizer run-off from your lawn. If you suspect your bulbs are suffering from a nitrogen overdose,don't feed them with a fertilizer that contains any nitrogen. Daffodils and most other flowering bulbs need more phosphorous,potassium and trace minerals than nitrogen. One remedy for nitrogen overload is to add a layer of chopped leaves that haven't been composted to your flower bed. As the leaves break down they will use up most of the excess nitrogen in the soil.It may take a season or two for this situation to correct itself.

Daffodils That Don't Bloom May Be Diseased

Viral diseases are another common cause of daffodil blindness. If you notice that the leaves and stems of your daffodils are streaked with yellow this is usually the cause. Many popular varieties of daffodils are infected with mosaic viruses and some unscrupulous nurseries will knowingly sell them anyway. Unfortunately, daffodil viruses can't be cured. If your plants are infected you need to dig up the bulbs and destroy them to protect the rest of your bulbs from becoming diseased.

Weird Weather Can Be To Blame When Daffodils Don't Bloom

An early warm spell or a very cold spring can sometimes be the cause when flower bulbs don't bloom. Daffodils often sprout too early if the weather turns warm for a few days. When winter cold returns this can stunt the bulbs and they may bloom sparsely or not at all. I believe this was the problem with my Mount Hood daffodils that are pictured above. Making sure you have a nice deep layer of organic mulch can help some with this this problem but of course you can't control the weather.

Daffodils Don't Bloom Well When They Are Crowded

If you have an established planting of bulbs that has bloomed well in the past they may have simply multiplied and become overcrowded. This is easy to remedy by digging the whole clump and dividing it. Space the bulbs about 6 inches apart when you replant them so you won't have to divide them as soon next time.

If your daffodils are in an informal setting you may not need to divide them at all if you don't want to. Naturalized bulbs go through cycles and will bloom better some years than others. If you do divide your bulbs and find there are more than you have room to replant be sure and give the extra ones away. Be aware that it may take a season or two after dividing for your bulbs to bloom again.

Your Daffodils May Not Like Your Garden

If some varieties of daffodils never bloom well in your garden you may just have to give up on that type. I've tried several times to grow narcissus poeticus in my garden and they never bloom more than once. I have a neighbor who has a nice group of them growing in dappled shade beside a little stream but they just won't bloom for me. I have similar results with late flowering double daffodils. As gardeners we all like to experiment and take risks but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

If you have blind daffodils that don't bloom again after following the advice I've given you here you may have to make the tough decision to remove them permanently. No gardener likes to do this but if a daffodil is a consistent poor performer why not consider replacing it with a plant that is more suited to the conditions that you can provide?