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?

Don't Pick The Daffodils in Centralia,WA

Centralia, WA police are cracking down on daffodil thefts on city property. A woman was spotted illegally picking daffodils in a city park last week. Police caught up with her at a local hospital where she had gone to give the daffodils to a patient. The woman was then arrested and given a citation for theft of city property. She reportedly threw the flowers at the arresting officer.

I'm sure the citizens of Centralia are relieved that this dangerous daffodil thief has been taken off the streets.

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The original link to the daffodil theft story appears to be broken now but I found it on The Olympian Online

Plannning Your Daffodil Garden Part 3

In the first two parts of my Planning Your Daffodil Garden series I told you about the importance of taking notes and pictures so you won't have to waste energy trying to remember what was happening in your garden in the spring. If you're doing most of what I suggested all you'll have to do in the Autumn is plant your bulbs and other plants and mulch your garden. If you missed the first two posts you can read them below this one.

Decide Which Daffodils Need To Move And Which Ones Need To Go

I've already written about the need to divide established daffodils if they've stopped blooming. If you've decided to naturalize your bulbs this won't be a problem. You can just leave them where they are. But if your bulbs have been planted in a more formal flower bed you'll want to dig them up and divide them after they've gone dormant. You can plant the extra ones in another area or share them with another gardener.

If you have daffodils that have never bloomed well you may need to move the whole lot of them to another location. If they are in a wet area or if they are in deep shade they'll never thrive in their present location. Look around your yard to see if you can find a more suitable home for your bulbs. If you can't find a good spot give them to friends or neighbors who have better conditions.

Another reason you might want to move your daffodils is if they clash with other flowers that are planted near them. For example,your pink cupped daffodils probably won't look very good planted next to orange tulips. This is the very sort of situation taking those notes and pictures will help you remedy.

If you have daffodils that you just don't particularly care for and you decide you'd rather plant something else in their spot dig them up as soon as the leaves die back and give them away. I personally never met a daffodil I didn't like but if you decide you don't like those shaggy double daffodils planted by your porch don't feel guilty about it. It's your garden and you should fill it with plants that you love.
Note: If you need to dig up daffodil bulbs that appear to be diseased or infested with some type of pest,it's best to throw them away or burn them. You don't want to spread viral diseases to other gardens. Some older varieties are especially susceptible.

Decide Which Daffodils You Want To Plant Next Autumn

It may seem a little early to be planning your autumn bulb purchases but it's really not. Many bulb sellers are already having advance sales. You can usually get a substantial discount if you order early and of course you won't have to worry about the bulbs you want not being available. I've learned this lesson the hard way more than once. I tend to be a procrastinator when it comes to ordering my bulbs and plants. Once a few years ago a daffodil I wanted to buy was sold out because I tried to order at the last minute. The next spring and summer there was widespread flooding in Europe and that narcissus wasn't available again for several years. So if there's a spring blooming bulb you've had your eye on don't wait too long to order it. If you order early you will usually not be charged until your flower bulbs are actually shipped.


If you've been taking your notes and photos you've probably realized that you could have a much longer daffodil season if you added some different types to your garden. Maybe all your daffodils are early blooming trumpet types. You could plant some narcissus triandrus daffodils for mid season blooms. If you live in the south add some jonquillas and tazettas for mid to late season blooms. In the North narcissus poeticus and large flowered double daffodils will make a great finish to the daffodil season.

If all your daffodils are yellow you may want to get some white ones. Also consider pink or orange cupped types. Don't forget to add at least a couple of miniature daffodils to your garden. These narcissus types are usually some of the earliest to bloom.

You should also consider the other bulbs you'd like to grow in your garden. Don't forget to allow space for bulbs like tulips,irises and hyacinths. Small bulbs like scilla,crocuses and muscari(grape hyacinths) make great companions for your daffodils. Most of these are early bloomers. Late blooming daffodils will bloom at the same time as mid season tulips and early irises. And don't forget to plant some pansies,violets and violas in your spring garden. One of my posts in the near future will be on daffodil companions so watch for that.

I'm not totally finished with this topic but my next few posts will concentrate on trouble shooting. If you've never heard of terms like deadheading, blasting and blind daffodils you'll want to stay tuned.

Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover I hope you have a safe and happy Holiday weekend!

Planning Next Year's Daffodil Garden Part 2

In part one of my series on planning next year's daffodil garden I wrote about what you can do now to plan for the autumn bulb planting season. I hope you're taking notes and pictures and marking your daffodils well. This will make your job much easier in October when you're planting new bulbs and preparing your garden for winter.

Take Plenty of Pictures of Your Daffodils At All Stages Of Growth

Taking pictures of your flower garden is not really a job. It can one of the most enjoyable aspects of gardening if you also like photography. The reason taking pictures of your flowers is so important is that it's hard to remember what your garden looks like in various seasons. If you have lots of photos you'll never have to worry about it. Make sure to take close ups and long shots. If you use a digital camera your pics will be automatically be dated.

When you review your pictures you'll be noting things like the health of your plants and what the weather conditions were like during your growing season. Of course it's easy to remember to take pictures when your flowers are blooming but it will also be valuable to take pictures at all stages of growth from the first green shoots to the last withering leaf.I would advise doing this for all the plants in your garden.

Keep A Garden Journal And Take Good Notes

Keeping a good garden journal doesn't have to be fancy or complicated. I just use a spiral bound notebook and scribble away when I need to record what's happening in my garden. When it comes to your daffodils you'll want to take notes of things like blooming dates and weather conditions. Although spring weather tends to be erratic almost everywhere on the globe,after you take notes for a few seasons you will begin to understand your seasonal weather patterns better.

Make sure to record temperatures and rainfall. Also take note of the bloom times of other flowers,trees and shrubs in your area. After a few years you'll be able to tell exactly when different types of daffodils will bloom in your area. For example I know that the Thalia variety of triandrus daffodils (the one in the picture) blooms at the same time as the redbud trees in my garden.

Of course you'll also want to record and take pictures of your daffodils that don't bloom or that look as if they may be diseased or suffering from nutrient deficiencies. Narcissi do occasionally suffer from viral diseases although this is not common if you started with healthy bulbs from a reputable retailer.

Stay tuned for part 3 of Planning Next Year's Daffodils when I'll tell you how and when to divide your old daffodils and how to choose your new ones.