Growing Daffodils, Landscapes and Naturalized Daffodils

relocating daffodils

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Dear Forum,
Having spent quite some time figuring out how “best” to plant larger drifts of different daffodils, I am now seeing what I have “created” and “done” and begin to wonder whether some of my daffodils might look better planted in slightly different locations within the garden.  When is the best time to do so?  How should one best go about digging out daffodils in order to avoid damaging the bulbs.  —  Most of my gardening tools are from Sneeboer in Holland.
Thanks.
I would also love to see some pictures of daffodil drifts in various landscaping schemes.
Best regards,
Niels


3 comments for “relocating daffodils”

  1. Hello, Niels
    I have found that daffodils are a very forgiving plant.  I’ve had to dig them when they were in bloom out of necessity (moving house).  I kept the bulbs out of the ground, spread out in a single layer, and planted them in the fall after a new planting area had been prepared.  I had far more bloom the next year than I had expected.  I’ve found you can also treat them rather like perennial plants in the spring–dig (disturbing the roots as little as possible) and re-plant immediately, keeping them watered as they settle into their new location.  Bloom the following year may be off a little, but you do have the advantage of planting them where you think they look better, and without digging into a dormant clump of bulbs.
    Mary Lou
    Cincinnati, Ohio, Zone 5-6.

  2. Niels,
    I’d like to reinforce the second part of Mary Lou’s email.  Then I was moving my daffodils from Maryland to NC, I dug most of my miniatures when in the blooming or green stage, placed them into pots that I placed into plastic grocery bags, and transported them to NC in the Trunkd of Fran’s car (Her car is bigger than mine and can carry more daffodil posts) and replanted a couple days later. That was in 2006 and 2007. All my miniatures survived except one pot of cyclamineus.  I moved some standards that way also.
    By the way, I got the ideal from one of Mary Lou’s daffodil articles on Suite101.com where she says the same thing.
    Clay
    —
    Clay Higgins
    title=

    ———


  3. In a message dated 4/3/2008 12:40:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, title= writes:

    I’ve found you can also treat them rather like perennial plants in the spring–dig (disturbing the roots as little as possible) and re-plant immediately, keeping them watered as they settle into their new location.  Bloom the following year may be off a little, but you do have the advantage of planting them where you think they look better, and without digging into a dormant clump of bulbs.

    My experience mirrors Mary Lou’s. I moved my entire daffodil collection in May, digging up the clumps leaving roots and leaves intact and then replanting in the new garden within the next couple days and watering in. They acted as if they’d never been moved!
    Bill Lee (same zone as Mary Lou 5-6

    Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.

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