Greetings daffodil enthusiasts of the world. I am new to your list. Having conceived the idea of using Narcissus and other winter growing bulbs as an under-story for fruit trees, I began researching narcissus further. I’ve always been a fan, especially of the Tazetta types, but seeing all the wild and beautiful hybrids out there I find myself seized with some sort of daffodil lust. Well, to put that aside for a second, I’m still on my quest to use winter bulbs, including narcissus in the practical application I set out on and I wondered if I can solicit any input.
More details on the experiment can be found on my blog http:// turkeysong.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/narcissus-understory-for-fruit- trees-an-experiment/ but I’ll distill it quickly here. We have long dry summers and very wet winters here in coastal Northern California. Temperatures rarely drop much below 20 degrees F and that is uncommon. Narcissus grow well through the winter here with no frost damage to the foliage. Fruit trees, unless irrigated have a difficult time fighting it out with weed competition for water in the summer and can use all the help they can get as far as water conservation and reduction of competition go. I’ve noticed clumps of narcissus and amaryllis out competing other plants so my idea is to use the earliest and thickest growing narcissus and or amaryllis closely planted to smother weed growth early in the wet season, and throughout, the winter. Since narcissus die down in June here I’m hoping that the foliage, if left undisturbed, will also form a dying mulch over the soil surface to decrease evaporation and sun baking through the rest of the summer. I have a lot of trees, so I will require a lot of bulbs and of course we would have to resign ourselves to living with enormous swaths of daffodils through the winter and spring here, sigh….
I’ve acquired some bulbs to start experimenting. The best candidates so far for earliness of foliage and growth density seem to be Tazetta types, but I’m certainly interested in more input on that parameter. The early, dense vegetation is critical to get a jump on the weeds which sprout at the very first rains and I’ve noted the trumpet and large cup daffodils seem to grow later and less densely. We go through life missing most of what is around us, but once we find a keen interest (like lets say.. ummm…. daffodils!) things relating to our interest seem to suddenly pop up everywhere. I’m hoping in your keen interest that you might have some anecdotes, experience or photographs regarding culture of trees in very dense plantings of narcissus or other winter bulbs. I have collected a few anecdotes indicating that this idea has potential including commercial culture of poeticus for the cut flower trade under fruit trees in England, but more would be appreciated. I’d also much appreciate any other recommendations for winter bulb species that might be suitable. The ideal species or variety would fulfill these criteria:
*Grow vigorously and thickly early in the Fall/winter to out compete the great majority of grasses, thistles and other less desirable weedy stuff.
*Compatible with the trees in terms of competition playing friendly and not being overly competitive for nutrients.
*Dying back to the bulbs or corms early enough in the season to not be overly competitive with the trees for moisture.
*Capable of surviving complete drought through the summer.
*Leaving a thick cover of dead plant material to protect the soil and prevent further moisture loss.
*unpalatable to deer and rodents.
*long lived- not requiring maintenance after establishment.
*Providing other services or being useful in some other way such as food, beauty, marketability as cut flowers or bulbs, bee forage, attractive to beneficial insects etc…
Thanks!