If you're new to growing daffodils the good news is that trumpet daffodils are among the easiest to grow even if you've never grown flowering bulbs before. Although they are more suited to cooler climates than warmer areas trumpet daffodils will bloom reliably in most gardens.
Even in hot southern coastal areas trumpet daffodils can be grown as annuals by giving the bulbs a cold treatment. This simply means putting them in the refrigerator in a paper bag for a few weeks before planting in the garden. Make sure you don't store fruits like apples and pears in the fridge with your daffodil bulbs. Fruits give off ethylene gas which could kill the bulbs.
A trumpet daffodil by definition has a trumpet that is at least as long as one of the petals(perianth.) The trumpet can be long and skinny or so wide that it almost hides the petals. The trumpet usually flares at the end. Trumpet narcissus flower sizes range from large like Dutch Master to the miniature W.P. Milner. Standard plants will reach 16-18 inches in height and miniatures usually grow 6-10 inches high.
Large trumpets daffs like the ones featured here can range widely in size depending on soil and weather conditions but there are things you can do do get larger flowers. If you have heavy soil make sure to loosen it as much as you can by adding amendments like greensand
Planting too shallowly is the most common reason for daffodil flowers that are too small,especially in warmer areas. Try to plant at least 6 inches deep if possible. If your soil is heavy make sure you plant at least 4 inches deep or your daffodil bulbs may not bloom at all. If you have to plant large bulbs less than 6 inches deep expect smaller flowers.
There are a few exceptions but trumpet daffodils are generally early bloomers. In my garden they begin blooming in February and continue until mid March. In the North they will probably bloom in April or earlier if the weather is warm.
Although trumpet daffodils are not the best performers in my garden I wouldn't be without them and the following varieties have done well for me. If you live in a colder zone they should bloom even better for you and will probably produce very large flowers.
Dutch Master is the classic Yellow trumpet daffodil that has been a garden favorite since 1938. It is the successor to the famous King Alfred. Dutch Master can have flowers 4-6 inches wide under the right conditions.
White Trumpet Daffodil Mount Hood
Mount Hood is the best performing trumpet daffodil in my Zone 7 garden. The flowers start out a faint lemon yellow and mature to ivory white. It produces a robust flower that holds up to spring rains.Named after snow capped Mount Hood in Oregon,this white trumpet daffodil was first introduced in 1927.
Las Vegas is a beautiful bi-color daffodil that will bloom reliably in all but the hottest areas. The trumpet is bright golden yellow and the perianth (petals) is creamy white.
The three daffodils here and many other types can be ordered now from Holland Bulb Farms. Time is getting short so make sure you order soon for the best selection.
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Next, I'll tell you more about Division 2- Large-cupped daffodils.
1 comments:
Thanks for sharing the trumpet daffodils. Now I can easily identify them as Trumpet Daffodils have the "traditional" daffodil form: there is one large blossom per stem and the trumpet is exceptionally long.
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