Cutting Back Daffodils: When, Why and How

[@tenaguin1054]

The wait is hard but each year they come back more and more beautiful.

[@GardenSanity]

I completely agree on both points: waiting and how they get better and better over time! 💛

[@bguen1234]

We had an elderly neighbor who braided the leaves and they were stellar flower producers. He obviously knew what he was doing.

[@GardenSanity]

That's wonderful you got to enjoy your neighbor's beautiful daffodils! While many gardeners used to braid their daffodils leaves, this is a practice that is not recommended. But I'm happy your elderly neighbor had success! Thanks for sharing! 😄

[@sjs9354]

😮 I planted 2 varieties of daffodils 30 years ago down by a woodsy creek. I cut the flowers to bring in every spring. I never knew I was supposed to cut them back or remove the dead leaves. Didn’t remove leaves too soon. Waited 30 YEARS. 😂

[@GardenSanity]

Well obviously you have some very happy daffodil bulbs! You don't have to remove the leaves at all. The main mistake that gardeners make is to cut the leaves back way too soon. Sounds like you've been doing things right! 😃

[@davidsingleton5287]

Hi, I`m from Cheshire in England . I could listen to your voice all day. Thanks for a lovely video.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks so much David, and hello from across the pond! I appreciate your feedback very much!

[@syahgisi4226]

Ikr, very chill

[@GardenSanity]

😊

[@anniekelly9335]

Very precise & informative video...& the filming & lyrical instructions of excellent quality ...thank you.

[@GardenSanity]

My pleasure Annie! Thank you for your helpful feedback too! 💛

[@brendazolli3059]

My bugbear! I find planting similar perennials like day lilies is helpful, you can hide the daffodil leaves easily. I do braid others and tuck them behind other flowers. I have had no problem with diminishing blooms next spring

[@GardenSanity]

Glad to hear you've not had any problems with braiding the stems Brenda. Yes, Daylilies are a fantastic way to hide the similar leaves of Daffodils too. Great solution! 👍

[@sweetattitude]

I honestly don't know why people are bothered by the yellowing of the leaves. After all, we all ooh and awe when the tree leaves die and turn colors and fall to the ground in the fall, and we kick through them because we think they are crunchy and beautiful. It's the same thing, just different thinking. It's part of the beauty of the life cycle, plus it makes the most lovely blanket for the worms to sleep under. Change your thinking and let nature be nature, it's all beautiful.

[@GardenSanity]

It is all beautiful, you are right! I wish more people saw it this way, but so many are conditioned to get their leaf blowers out the minute two leaves fall onto their green lawns. It drives me nuts because one of the best memories as a child outside was raking huge leaf piles and jumping into the leaves! Leaf blowing seems to have become a requirement for some homeowners every Fall. 🙄 Just my opinion!

[@Knappa22]

No-one is going to objects to leaves falling into the yard or onto grass, but space in a flower bed is prime real estate plant-wise. At the point daffodils are dying back I would need that space to make way for summer annuals. If they aren’t put in at this stage you don’t get your summer display.

[@GardenSanity]

@@Knappa22 I understand. I think you could plant your annuals and the "eye" would immediately look at the pretty annuals rather than the green leaves of the daffodils next to them -- but -- I also understand your point that garden space can be prime real estate to get other flowers planted. 💛🙂

[@joanprowse957]

Great information, our gardener cut our green leaves to ground level, so no flowers, I tried to tell her but she knew best , we now have a new gardener !!!

[@GardenSanity]

Oh it happens sometimes Joan! (Glad you got a new gardener!) 😄 Sprinkle some bulb fertilizer where those daffodils are. (Hopefully you know the spot in the garden even if the leaves are now missing!) The fertilizer will help give those bulbs the nutrients that will definitely help them store up what they need to bloom successfully next season. 💛

[@sedimosadegh3048]

Amazing video! Thank you. I'm a novice gardner and I learned a lot.

[@GardenSanity]

You're most welcome! I'm so glad you learned a lot too! 💛

[@guypaul]

You have a very pleasant voice. Thank you SOOOO much for not putting background music or a bunch of graphics in your video. All of your information is useful. Please, what is the purple shrub at :027?

[@GardenSanity]

You're welcome and thanks for the feedback! The purple shrub is Kramer's Red Winter Heath. I have a video here on my KZbin Channel all about it. It's one of my favorites!

[@aishaahmad4902]

Thank you for the helpful information about when and how to cut back daffodils, and why timing is important for nutrition and flowering for next year. Now I know!

[@GardenSanity]

You’re welcome Aisha! I’m so glad the video helped! 🌼

[@timothygoh7395]

I love your voice, and you are totally right, I usually wait 7 weeks after they finish blooming, it is usually the last week of June , but sometimes I just let it die and hide in my perennial, I found a few perennials are really great to grow well with daffodils like asters, butterfly weed (a tuburosa), echinacea, day lilies , black eyed susans, salvia, and also grasses

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Timothy! Like you, I sometimes forget about some of the daffodil stems because they're on the ground underneath other plants -- which of course means less work for me! Thanks for the great perennial suggestions too! 🌺🌼🏵

[@janedickson-gw4pb]

What about thinning your daffodils? When should that be done???

[@bluegirl4079]

I planted my daffodils for the first time in a pot and enjoyed them immensely. You video has taken some of the mystery of "what to do now?" Very informative. Thank you! Should tulips be managed in the same way?

[@GardenSanity]

I'm so glad you enjoyed your daffodils in a pot! I keep telling myself every Spring to add some potted daffodils next year, so hopefully in the Fall I'll remember! 🤣 I have never grown tulips because of the rabbits around here that love to eat them. I do know there are some tulips that return reliably every year, while other tulips will never come back as robust as they did their first year of bloom. It depends upon the species.

[@Lazaruscorso]

Great video! Thank you for your clear guidance!

[@GardenSanity]

You're very welcome Lazarus! Glad I could help! 🌼

[@foodland6653]

Very very helpful video! Thank you for sharing this detailed information 🎉

[@GardenSanity]

You're so welcome! Glad to help! 😀

[@almamissionpreneur8418]

Wow thanks, very clear, helpful. I saved u your video

[@GardenSanity]

@@almamissionpreneur8418 I'm so glad the video was helpful Alma, and I really appreciate your feedback too! 💛🌱

[@omwilsonow]

Hi Laura your video was very informative, love your kind spirit. I'll just wait, peace ✌

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for your feedback -- I appreciate it! Yes, the waiting is a study in patience, but you'll be rewarded with beautiful flowers again next year!

[@quick9smitty511]

Thank you for the information about when to cut back. I wonder if you could address how to move daffodils to a different spot. Also when you've made the mistake and caused a "no flower" situation, is the damager permanent or will they eventually bloom again? Thank you.

[@GardenSanity]

Great questions -- which I'm jotting down for a future video, so thank you! Here's a short (and hopefully helpful) answer, in the meantime. I like to move daffodils while I can still see their foliage, so I know where to dig them up and also where to transplant them among my other bulbs and plants. Once planted, you'll see that the foliage probably dies back quickly. That's ok, just make sure to apply bulb fertilizer around the soil where the bulbs were transplanted. The fertilizer will help provide nutrients so that the bulb stores up enough energy over the coming year to provide a wonderful flower display next Spring. (I have a separate video here on this channel about fertilizer.) As for the "no flower" situation. They may or may not bloom again, and honestly it's a wait and see approach. If it was me, I'd mark the area "near" those "no-flower daffs" with something that won't get removed during the Summer, so that I can plant new daffodil bulbs there in the Fall. This way, if they all come up, you'll have even more daffodils to enjoy. If the "no-flower daffs" don't produce flowers next Spring, at least you'll have some daffs blooming in that area, and then you can dig up the no-blooming ones. Again, to help them bloom for next year, apply bulb fertilizer around the soil and this will help give them more nutrients. Keep me posted and good luck! 🌼

[@gars1074]

Video was very helpful. You have a nice voice to listen to.

[@GardenSanity]

Why thank you! Glad the video was helpful!

[@TeresaGriffith]

Brilliant idea to take photos!

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks Teresa - it really helps, doesn’t it? 🌼🙂

[@olivetherrien3023]

I'm from Vancouver, Canada. Thanks for the informative information. I had no idea that you had to wait six weeks. My daffodils are at the deadheading stage and tulips are starting to bloom. Now I know why in previous years I had no flowers the following year. Thanks.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Olive -- so glad you may have found the key to lots of daffodils blooming each year! It can be such a study in patience waiting until you can cut them back for the year. Hopefully your pretty tulips will distract you from the daffodil greenery as it ages! 🌷🌷🌷

[@TheCraftydevilSpeaks]

I just deadheaded my daffodils here in NJ. I had interplanted iris in between them and they are so tall now they will disguise the daffodils when they start to die off. I go along weekly and cut off yellowing leaves so the flower bed still looks lush. Once they are completely done I will plant annuals next to them to fill in the bed for the rest of the summer. My iris should start blooming in about 10 days. It will be the first year I should have a nice display of blooms!

[@GardenSanity]

Oh your garden sounds lovely! I do the same thing: remove any brown stems so everything is nice and green for as long as possible. It's amazing how full the garden looks even though a lot of the green is all of the remaining daffodil leaves! Enjoy your garden!

[@TheCraftydevilSpeaks]

The irises I planted behind the the daffodils are starting to bloom now and the hosta I planted in front of them are filling out nicely. I have annuals growing in trays that I’ll plant in between the daffodils once they fall over and I cut them down. It’s been perfect weather here for a garden here in NJ so far. Rain mostly at night and some degree of sunshine during the day with mild spring temperatures. I’d say the best weather in several years or more. I’m excited about how the flower beds are going to turn out!

[@GardenSanity]

@@TheCraftydevilSpeaks I need to add irises into my garden. I just visited my 93-years young parents, and their irises were so beautiful! I'm also in NJ (southern NJ) and I feel like lately we've had too much rain during Winter and Spring, however the plants and shrubs are happy so I can't complain! 💛

[@truthofthematter9409]

I wait until they are yellow and brown. Great informational video. Btw, my knockout does not have Rosette Disease, thank goodness

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks so much! Cheers to joining me in the (what seems like) never-ending supply of patience we have for those yellow-brown daffodil leaves! Happy to hear you don't have the Rosette Disease either! Whew! I'm still evaluating my shrub.

[@user-tk2ho2rq9j]

Very informative. Thank you.

[@GardenSanity]

You're welcome Patty! And many thanks for your feedback too! 😀

[@juliepreston570]

Thankyou very helpful I love daffodils 😊

[@GardenSanity]

Me too Julie! Always happy to help! 😊

[@CherylPost-cx8kz]

I was looking for this advice. You made it clear and easy to understand. I am in the WAITING stage! My daisies are coming up around them.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for the helpful feedback Cheryl! I'm in the waiting stage too - it's hard but at least we can begin to enjoy the other plants starting to grow in our gardens. Trying to find the bright side! 🤣

[@06cazann]

Hello, I'm new to gardening but I sort of knew that I was supposed to leave them in the ground. Thanks so much for your informative video (and the talk through) I think that I can do it now

[@GardenSanity]

You’re welcome! The hardest part is waiting to cut them back to the ground, but it’s worth it for next year’s flowers! Glad I could help - and enjoy your garden! 🌼🙂

[@empressoftheskies]

I planted mine behind my incrediball hydrangea hedge so when my daffodils are yellowing, the hydrangeas are leafing out and block the yellowing daffodils.

[@GardenSanity]

Great combination Kei! Love this idea! 👍

[@joannmccray3613]

You told me everything I needed to know 🤔 thank you

[@GardenSanity]

Wow - thanks Joann! I’m glad to read this! Hope you had a wonderful Daffodil season this year! 🌼😀

[@Dessyluvs]

I had mine in containers so while they were turning yellow I placed the container in the back yard. Great tips. I have to find a place to put them in the landscape.

[@GardenSanity]

Smart move (pun intended!) to place the containers in the back. Just as you want to plant daffodils in your landscape, I want to plant daffodils in containers as another project! 😀

[@JoJo-op5xy]

I’m planting them in a pot but I wonder if I can add other plants in there too.

[@GardenSanity]

My climate isn’t great for planting bulbs in outdoor pots, so I can’t properly advise you. However, maybe planting your bulbs with a flowering perennial in the same pot will later draw attention away from the yellowing leaves of the bulbs when they’re finished. Another idea is to plant bulbs in a container around a small evergreen. I’m 100% envious of the beautiful pots and containers of bulbs that I’ve seen many gardeners plant in the United Kingdom. I would love to plant lots of bulb containers and be able to leave them outdoors! 🪴🪴🪴

[@margueritehannaford9358]

Really lovely video, explaining everything so clearly. Will also start watching your other garden video’s. Thanks very much. All the best. Mx 😊

[@GardenSanity]

Thank you so much for your feedback Marguerite! I really appreciate it! 😊 Happy gardening to you! 🌸

[@margueritehannaford9358]

Thanks

[@GardenSanity]

Thank you so very much Marguerite. Your support means so much! ❤🌺🌼😊

[@georl1]

I planted all of my daffodils among many of my hostas around a huge maple tree. When the daffodils are in bloom, the hostas are just coming up so by the time the daffodils are done blooming, the leaves of the daffodils cover the remnants of the daffodils so you really don't see the dead daffodils. In the spring, I rake off all of the dead leaves around the maple tree and voila, the cycle starts all over again.

[@GardenSanity]

That's a great solution -- and a pretty one too! I just planted Hosta last Summer near some Daffodils and am seeing exactly what you describe which is wonderful! I also planted some Agastache near several Daffodil bunches and that has also worked nicely. It can be tricky, but finding the right "coverage" definitely helps deal with being patient while they die back. Thanks for sharing! 🌼

[@TRUTHRULES777]

Actually, this year I did do that I went down and I thought you know what I’m just gonna go way down after they’ve been completely yellow I said enough. So we’ll see but they always come back anyway so I think I must be doing something right a tiny bit. Or 🍀 Luck

[@PaulGibbons13]

Hi from the UK great video 😀👍

[@GardenSanity]

Thank you Paul! Waving to you from "across the pond" as they say! 👋

[@faribajavaherpour710]

@@GardenSanitydid I understand correctly that if I cut all my blooms and bring them inside they won’t bloom next year?

[@GardenSanity]

@@faribajavaherpour710 They will bloom next year! 😃You can cut your Daffodils to enjoy in a vase, but leave the rest of the long leaves in place on the plants in the garden. These leaves will continue to draw nutrients from the sun and deliver them down to the bulb. Once those stems are brown, simply remove them and you'll be all set for next year's Daffodils! 👍

[@karendomigan4612]

Just found your channel and really enjoying you and all your detailed information.

[@GardenSanity]

Thank you so much Karen! 😊 I really appreciate your feedback and hope you'll subscribe as more gardening fun is on the way!

[@Laura-rx9mp]

thank you!

[@GardenSanity]

You're welcome!

[@user-kx4tg2zk7r]

Do I have to cut back the brown stems? Is it ok to just leave them alone?

[@GardenSanity]

You don't have to cut them back at all. They will eventually dry up on their own like they were never there! 😊

[@Bobbysixgun]

Very informative thx for a good video

[@GardenSanity]

You're most welcome!

[@karenjacobs9818]

what variety are your solid yellow ones? Great info in the video.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Karen -- those smaller yellow ones are Tete-a-Tete Daffodils. They are my favorites because they bloom early and for a long time. Plus, their bright color really is showy in the landscape among what can still be a dreary time of year! They are a smaller size, so definitely best to plant in groupings. 💛 Here is a video on seven weather-proof varieties I have in my garden which will provide more info: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5eWnnx9rLNjY7csi=qbEE6FFOjCJvqo5m I hope this helps!

[@SharonValenta-ku1px]

Just plant annuals or perennials around the wilting daffodils to hide the yellowing leaves

[@GardenSanity]

Great suggestion Sharon! It's something I'm personally still working on. I finally found some taller late-Spring blooming perennials like Totally Tangerine Geum and Petite Jenny Lychnis that are hiding the daffodils quite nicely! Geranium Rozanne is great for this as well! 👍

[@AttilaKiss-uh2iz]

Hi, your video is amazing, thank you for all the info shared. I would like to transfer daffodils to a different spot in the garden, when is it best to do that? After they died back? I live in the UK with quite mild winters. Thank you!

[@GardenSanity]

You're most welcome! You can dig up and transplant the daffodils now, even with the green leaves and stems still on them. Once transplanted, it is possible you'll see rapid dying of those leaves -- but -- you can put down some bulb fertilizer and work it into the soil and this will help to nourish the bulbs over the next year until they bloom for you next Spring! Alternatively, you can wait until the stems are mostly dead and dig up/transplant at that time too. I've done both ways and it's worked out fine. I hope this helps! 🌼 😃

[@AttilaKiss-uh2iz]

@@GardenSanity thank you ever so much. I just bought a house last December and this is the first time I have garden. I was soo late with everything but gave it a try and planted the bulbs this January outside, they are in full bloom literally now ❤️ I guess the mild climate worked.

[@GardenSanity]

@@AttilaKiss-uh2iz Congratulations on your new home and starting a garden too! There's nothing like daffodils in Springtime! I've planted daffodils as late as December in the past, and yes: the surprise that "it worked" when they come up and bloom is very satisfying!

[@timmcquain3855]

Thankyou sweetie,! I wuz needing some answers like this for my bosses wife ,! (as there are many "clumps" of them STILL alive n bloomin after YEARS of that house being torn down/demoed n heavy equipment traffic in the lot adjacent to our store FREE for the taking ,! (I just needed to know the how's/ why's/ when's to do so for her,!!! SWEET,! n THX, for the info.

[@GardenSanity]

You are welcome Tim! Sounds like you’re seeing great examples of how hardy daffodils are - they can survive through almost anything! Glad I could help! 🙂

[@medievalroses]

The daffodils have spread all over the garden in the house I live in. Would it be a good idea to move them now, or should I wait until fall? I would rather they are in one place than a random spot in the garden. They are in the late stage of blooming. Thank you so much for the informative videos

[@GardenSanity]

I'd say move them while you can still see the green leaves and stems. 👍 This way, they will have a full year in the ground (almost) until they bloom again next Spring. The bulbs need the year to store up nutrients they'll need for the flowers next year. Once you transplant them, put some bulb fertilizer around the soil where you planted them. This will help them get more nutrients because once you transplant daffodils, their stems and leaves sometimes quickly yellow. This isn't anything to worry about, just know that it happens. I have a separate video on fertilizing daffodils that you can watch! 😃

[@ms.lufkin4525]

Thankyou

[@GardenSanity]

You're very welcome! 🌼

[@DavidJohnson-yg8qm]

I never cut back my flowers, they self seed and come back every year in abundance. This also keeps the weeds down, all I need to do is pull out the few nettles which beat my system.

[@GardenSanity]

That makes things much easier David, you're right! My parents have always done the same thing, which is not to touch them. But there are so many gardeners that cut them back way too early, so that's why I made this video. It takes about 5 or 6 years for Daffodil seeds to turn into bulblets, but underground they sure do multiply nicely from the original bulbs planted! 🌼🌼🌼

[@celestegrl]

Learned a lot about my daffodils Thank you. Hoping the rabbit repellent is not poisonous to the rabbits though. 😢

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Celeste - You’re welcome! And no worries - those rabbit repellents just “repel” rabbits away from the plants by the scent which they don’t like. 👍🙂

[@almamissionpreneur8418]

Me too!! Happy now to clean my daffodils, etc.Thanks

[@GardenSanity]

@@almamissionpreneur8418 Glad you liked the video Alma! 😀

[@debbiewilliams397]

Thank your 🙏

[@GardenSanity]

You're welcome Debbie!

[@manuelferreira1363]

Thank you. Subscribed!

[@GardenSanity]

You're very welcome! And thanks for subscribing!

[@user-fy4us4jm8v]

Thank you for this video. I came in search of info on transplanting & cutting back daffodils. I live in zone 7a/b. I volunteer on a house renovation and learned that the landscapers are removing everything. I asked if I could take some plants and was given permission. I took a few well established isises, daffodils and peonies. I plan to put them in large pots but I wonder if they'll be ok? Also I've read that this late in the season I should've cut them back to reduce shock before hand. Can you give me any suggestions on how to care for these new additions? The daffs have already yellowed & flopped. The peonies are somehow perky & starting /trying to bloom. The irises already had their show and now have nice green foliage. Should I cut them back now? Or should I let them keep doing what they're doing? Many thanks for the informative video. Learning as I go, K

[@GardenSanity]

You're welcome K! 🌼 That's wonderful you were able to take some of the Spring-blooming bulbs! You don't want to remove the foliage before it yellows, as even after the blooms are finished, there is still quite a bit of nutrients being taken in by the green leaves and stems of these plants. Once the stems have yellowed -- like you mentioned they have on your daffodils -- you can cut them off at the base of the plant. When not in bloom, bulbs actually prefer to be on the dry side, so just make sure the pots don't totally dry out, but add some water maybe once a week, or if there's no rain for awhile. In the Fall, add in some bulb fertilizer to the top of the soil and water it in well. You could also plant them into the ground now, versus waiting until the Fall season. But if you want to wait to plant them in the Fall, that is fine too! Either way works! I hope this helps! What color are the peonies? They are always so pretty!

[@Laila19464]

A beautiful garden 😍 new friend 🤝

[@GardenSanity]

Thank you!

[@mollydog444]

I usually let my daffodil greens just fade away after they bloom cause I knew that was good for the plant but yesterday, June 1, my lawn guy mowed all the greens down!! They were still mostly green with maybe a few yellow streaks. They had bloomed in April but I don't remember how early. Will they still come up next

[@GardenSanity]

Oh geez, I would have been quite irritated by that lawn guy! Unfortunately, I do not know if they will bloom next year or not. However, if you can still see where any of the daffodils were - with any remaining short stems?? - put some bulb fertilizer down around those spots, and hopefully that will help provide the nutrients they won't be able to get from the green leaves. That's the best I can suggest. You could always plant more in the Fall, just in case, to make sure you'll have daffodils to enjoy next Spring! Best of luck!

[@arundhatikishore4924]

Hi m from India I love your video 😍😍😍

[@GardenSanity]

Why thank you Arundhati! 🙂

[@ncmathsadist]

They fade around Memorial Day here (Chapel Hill, NC). Then can can be gently tugged out of the ground. People do all manner of stupid stuff to the leaves, spoiling next years blooms. I do deadhead the spent blooms.

[@GardenSanity]

I agree, there's nothing better than waiting until they are completely yellow and easily removing them! It's a much quicker job . . . but more patience is required and I guess not everyone has that! 😀

[@TRUTHRULES777]

I wait for quite a while and usually I do wait till they’re starting to yellow, but probably not long enough. What about tulips? Is it the same. Cause I do the same thing I kind of let them Die..Usually they drop their flower heads and it kind of wait for them to die a bit? Anyway, what is the difference With tulips? Thank you.

[@GardenSanity]

I don't grow tulips because they become food for the local rabbits unfortunately. 🙁I do know that most tulips will not bloom again with the same vigor after their first season or two, which is why many gardeners plant them every year in the Fall. There are some species tulips that will bloom more reliably for multiple years, but nothing like what daffodils do. Daffodils are definitely more reliable. 🙂

[@wildmywildersyde7082]

Hopefully you can answer this question that I have. I am new to gardening and my daffodils all bloomed, but after deadheading the blooms I noticed that some buds never bloomed and they’re turning brown. Should I wait and see if they bloom? Or should I dead head them?

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for asking! What you’re seeing is called “bud blast” and this can happen to daffodils due to a number of possibilities - not all that have been proven. First - just cut them off, because they won’t bloom. Those brown buds decided to stop producing before they got to the blooming stage. This won’t impact your daffodils for next year. There are several reasons why bud blast can occur, including: using fertilizer with too much nitrogen, so the energy is more focussed on the greenery rather than the flowers; a sudden burst of heat or cold occurring right after daffodils bloom can possibly affect the flowers one year later. I know that sounds nuts, but there’s theories out there about this. Also a too wet Autumn can affect them, or too wet in the ground during Winter. Planting them too shallow is another possibility. Sometimes if they don’t get enough moisture during the Summer months, when they are still storing energy for the following year’s flowers, this could also affect the blooms. As you can see, there are many possible reasons for this happening. Planting too late in the season is listed as a reason - yet I plant mine late and haven’t had this happen. Also storing the bulbs in a too warm environment before you plant them into the ground could cause bud blast too. Some gardeners will put their bulbs in the fridge - and yet the gasses from any fruit in the fridge could affect the bulbs and cause bud blast. Crazy, right? So. What to do? Deadhead those brown buds off. Leave the stems in place for at least six weeks before cutting them back. Definitely use a bulb fertilizer around the daffodils - lift up the stems if they’ve flopped over and apply the fertilizer, then work it into the soil before putting the stems back in place, then water the fertilizer in if no rain is coming. During the Summer, if where you live is dry or they don’t get a lot of moisture, make sure to periodically water those areas. (I tend to think this isn’t an issue, as most of us gardeners end up watering our gardens regularly during the Summer months and those areas get watered in the process.) Don’t overdo it with the fertilizer - but - feel free to apply a bit more in mid-Fall to those areas. (Perhaps mark where the brown buds occurred with a skinny bamboo skewer - something that won’t be noticeable during the Summer, but you will be able to find come Fall. Hopefully, with all of this - you won’t experience this next year. Does this help? 🌼🌱

[@TRUTHRULES777]

Live in the Pacific Northwest our daffodils come up fairly early and tulips not long after. It’s still pretty cool so I naturally just think well I’m not outside as much and if I am, I just gonna say oh whoops and kind of let them like I said die down Before I don’t think I do it long enough but they keep coming back so I think I’m gonna say so overall whatever I’ve been doing I think I’ve been doing it right but I might try to stretch it out longer next year. Don’t like the Yellow leaves.

[@GardenSanity]

Nobody likes the yellow leaves, that's for sure! 🤣 It sounds like you're doing things right if they keep coming back every year! And you're also right about not "seeing" them when it's still cold outside and we're not out and about as much. Right now, I'm still waiting for many of mine to begin yellowing. It is a study in patience! 🌼

[@bluegirl4079]

What are the pretty little orange flowers called? They remind me a bit of my guara.

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for asking! Those are called Totally Tangerine Geum. It's a fabulous sterile variety, so it flowers much longer than other Geums. One of my favorite perennials! 😊

[@MK-wm6gu]

Waiting is torturous for those stems to die back!

[@GardenSanity]

Definitely agree with you! At least my husband has become used to this period where there's lots of "extra" green stems everywhere making things look just a tad unkempt. 🤣

[@christykulwicki4323]

Can you lift daffodils and replant them? I planted them too deep last fall. Bought boxes of them from Costco last fall and a few flowers out of 100 bulbs.

[@sundeediviney2785]

I lifted after blooming too soon to store and to use the bed for new plants as I have limited space, I will stick them back in the ground. I hope I have blooms next spring

[@GardenSanity]

Yes you can! It's also possible the bulbs were bad, because you definitely should have had more than just a few flowers even if planted a bit too deep. Now would be the best time to lift, while you can still see where they are, then give them some bulb fertilizer to help them get a good start in storing up nutrients over the next year. 🌼

[@GardenSanity]

Yes if you dig up the bulbs, they should be replanted immediately. They need to have a full year to store up all that energy to produce wonderful flowers for you next year. 👍

[@lisadesando6225]

I think i cut them down to soon. No flowers this spring. Will i get flowers next year if i wait this season

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Lisa! Did you have green stems that came up, but no flowers? Definitely leave those stems in place until they turn brown. It is possible the stems removed too early last year didn't allow the bulbs to store up enough energy to bloom this year. If it was me, I'd add some bulb fertilizer to the area, working it gently into the dirt, and then I'd also plant more daffodils just in case these ones don't come back. Fingers crossed you'll enjoy flowers next year! 🤞

[@mickmill3314]

Question my daffodils have reached full bloom since March 9 so i was wondering what can i do to get them to rebloom this spring or this summer

[@GardenSanity]

Thanks for your question! Unfortunately, Daffodils only have one blooming season in Spring. So now that yours are in full bloom, enjoy every moment of their pretty flowers! Make sure to let their foliage die back naturally without cutting them off too soon. Your bulbs will multiply over time and your flowers will increase every year. To enjoy a longer season of Daffodils, I planted several varieties that are early-blooming, mid-season blooming, and late-blooming. This way I get a few months of flowers! 😀🌼 I have several Daffodil videos you can watch to help with your care of them, and a video about the varieties I have, which might give you some ideas: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5eWnnx9rLNjY7c 🌼 I hope this helps!

[@usakiwi1986]

I have tied mine in knots, The flowers come back every spring,our flowers have bloomed and I need to know what to do to tidy up our side garden and add new mulch but it seems you can't cut them down while all the leaves are still green? Grrrr

[@jamie42172]

consider this, own it, and mulch it. Next years D's will luv You

[@Army2Fire]

I do this as well!

[@alc6284]

I accidentally cut mine back yesterday and they were still green 🙁it’s been 6 weeks since they bloomed, had I researched it prior I never would have cut them. Are the bulbs ruined or is it just next year I won’t get flowers

[@GardenSanity]

No worries! Your daffodils should be ok as six weeks is a good amount of time. Yes it's always good to wait until the stems are flopped over and brown, but I don't think you've done any long-term damage at all. They still had a lot of time to store up some energy for next year. Sprinkle some Espoma Bulb-tone (or similar bulb fertilizer) around where they were planted, and as it gets watered into the soil the fertilizer will provide an extra dose of nutrients to the bulbs for next year. 👍

[@judyanderson8782]

Could you cut the stems half way down? Will squirrels dig up the bulbs before next year?

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Judy, It’s best to leave the stems in place as well as the leaves, with just the dead flowers snipped off. 👍 As for squirrels, they are attracted to disturbed soil which is why many times they will dig up bulbs right after they are planted. (Very frustrating!) Usually in the late Spring and Summer, squirrels have so many other food sources that they don’t pay attention to what’s underground. 🐿️ One idea - if they are a nuisance - is to sprinkle a granular deterrent like Repels-All. I hope this helps! 😀🌼

[@judyanderson8782]

Thank you for your advice.

[@GardenSanity]

@@judyanderson8782 You're welcome Judy! Glad to help anytime! 🌼💚

[@vincenzacacciatore8676]

I just bought a few plants of daffodil’s and tulips in which they are flowered what can I do with them?

[@GardenSanity]

Hello Vincenza, Tulips aren’t very reliable to come back as well as their first year, so you could plant the bulbs in the ground, but they may not return next year. Daffodils, on the other hand, are perennials that will continue to come back year after year and continue to multiply. So you can plant them in the ground while they’re blooming to enjoy the show, or wait until the flowers are gone, and then plant them into the ground. Don’t cut the foliage off for at least six weeks so that the daffodils can get the nutrients they need for blooming next year. I hope this helps?

[@neilhorn760]

When do you transplant the daffodils?

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Neil, I prefer to transplant when I can still see the green leaves and stems on the daffodils, so right around now is a good time. Once they are done blooming, I leave them for a few weeks and while still green, I'll dig them up and transplant them. Once transplanted, the leaves usually turn yellow quickly so the bulb won't get any more nutrients from those leaves as they slowly die. I use bulb fertilizer to help this situation, as it will provide nutrients to the bulb and soil and roots, so that the bulb stores up enough energy for next year's flowers. Hope this helps! 🌼

[@xtiancalderon]

I have them in containers and want to transplant them to the garden. When should I do that?

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Christian, You can transplant them once the ground is warmed up a bit and nightly temps are no longer in the 30s, just to make sure the soil is warm enough so that the bulbs and their roots can continue growing. Sometimes after transplanting, the daffodils and their leaves may go from standing up (in container) to falling over pretty quickly once transplanted into the garden. Don’t worry, as it doesn’t mean anything other than they might have some transplant shock. Add some bulb fertilizer around where you plant them, and next year they will return! 🌼🙂 And once planted into the garden, leave those leaves and stems until they brown, to make sure they soaked up enough nutrients from the sun. 🌞

[@xtiancalderon]

@@GardenSanity thank you! This is their first season in a container. How many more seasons do you think I could keep there? I ask because they were planted rather tightly.

[@GardenSanity]

@@xtiancalderon Maybe one more season, if there are a lot of bulbs planted tightly. Make sure to leave the stems until they all turn brown. This is very important if there's a lot of bulbs together, so the bulbs get enough energy and nutrients via the sun on the stems, etc. Then when you cut the stems back, make sure the pot doesn't dry out during the Summer. In the Fall, add some bulb fertilizer, and make sure the pot doesn't dry out over the Winter season either. 👍

[@emeraldgreen9896]

​@@GardenSanity November

[@GardenSanity]

@@emeraldgreen9896 Yes, November is a perfect time for daffodil bulb planting, however you don't want to leave any potted bulbs in containers until that time. To transplant those bulbs into the soil, it's best to do so once they're done blooming just to get them settled into their new (and permanent) home in the garden. Hope this helps! 😀

[@goldiegoldenbear7282]

Can you cut them down when the leaves flop over

[@GardenSanity]

I cover this in-depth in this video for you, including discussing when they flop over like you're asking. I also show examples to know what to look for. In general leave your daffodils at least 6 weeks before cutting them back. Rather than retype everything I mentioned in the video that will completely answer your question, it's easier to just watch it again -- especially from section 2:18 and continue from there. Hope this helps! 💛

[@Peterthepainter66]

It's safe to remove the dead stems at the end of May.

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Peter, it really depends where you're located in the world. For some gardeners in northern climates here in the US, they are still enjoying their Daffodils in the middle of May, so they will still need to wait at least 6 weeks for those stems to begin dying off. Even here in southern New Jersey, my late-blooming daffodils bloom as late as mid-May as well. My early-blooming daffodils have just been cut back . . . finally! 😃

[@Peterthepainter66]

@@GardenSanity Hi, I'm from the UK so we're probably both right especially us living in the southern part of the UK.

[@GardenSanity]

@@Peterthepainter66 Definitely agree! 💚

[@Knappa22]

This is the reason I don’t have daffodils. They don’t ‘die well’. So while the flowers are lovely, they’re not worth the months of sprawling foliage taking up the limited space in my garden.

[@GardenSanity]

I completely understand! 😃 I gradually go through the garden beds and cut where I can, so I have green foliage instead of green/yellow foliage but it still is a very long study in patience.

[@pattybrockman8561]

My hostas blend with mine

[@GardenSanity]

Great combination Patty! I just planted my first Hosta last Summer -- no idea why I waited so long! 🤣 Now the daffodils nearby blend in nicely.

[@rosebinder2261]

what happens if I did not deadhead the daffodils?

[@GardenSanity]

Hi Rose -- The daffodil plant will begin focusing its energy on making seeds. You'll see the little "lump" developing inside the stem just below the dried flower. Those seeds "could" be planted, but will take quite some time to develop into flowering plants. We want the daffodil plant (after blooming) to focus all its energy on taking in nutrients from the sun and soil through the remaining leaves above ground and roots and bulb below ground. These nutrients get stored into the bulb and will result in next year's flowers. That's why when cutting stems back too early, we may not get flowers the following year -- the plant hasn't had enough resources to gather and store nutrients. So not deadheading isn't a deal breaker, but it does help. And I hope this helps! 😃

[@dondale68]

You're not waiting for the 'greens' to die back,,, you're waiting for each daffodil to indicate that it's done with this year,, now for a nap til next spring!! That's what I've done, and then split each daffodil area, I get so many daffodil bulbs I have to give them away!!

[@GardenSanity]

I like the way you put that: waiting for them to say they're all done and it's time for a nap! 💤 It's easiest for most gardeners to visually see the greens turning to brown and know the daffodil foliage is finished gathering nutrients from the sun, but you are right that it's a neat feeling to know they've bloomed their hearts out and need a well-deserved rest. 🌞I love how many bulbs there are when digging them up -- it always makes me smile how nature works underground! 😊

[@longsnapper5381]

Deer will not eat daffodils.

[@GardenSanity]

You are correct! 😃

[@cherylsommardahl]

Sorry but If I need to leave the dead looking foliage showing that long, I would rather not have the daffodils at all.

[@GardenSanity]

🤣 I hear your Cheryl - It is indeed a study in patience waiting for the leaves to yellow. One way to minimize the look is to plant perennials that will come up and help to camouflage the daffodil leaves. I'm working on a video right now where I show how I've done that in one part of my garden. You don't need to look at dead-looking foliage for that long, because once the leaves yellow then you can remove them. They won't yellow for at least 6 or 8 weeks. In the meantime, they are beautiful upright sprays of greenery...although some will definitely just flop over too.

[@gloriadewalt8325]

Some people tie them with bows. A lot of options to razzle dazzle them so they look nice as you wait for them to yellow😊

[@patagoniaanne]

Don't give up on spring daffodils!!!! Plant them in pots and move the pots when the flowers are over and let the foliage mature in peace. Use a bit of bulb fertilizer to add strength to the bulbs for next year. Don't forget to water the pots until the foliage flops and starts to die.

[@tmontero8492]

They're her favorite spring flower! She figured out how to live with the dying foliage! Great video!

[@Bobbysixgun]

I'd have them just in a wild area so I wouldn't need to worry about it in my beds

[@ianc9545]

That's helped me, cheers, best wishes from the Uk .

[@GardenSanity]

My pleasure Ian! Happy Gardening!

[@flonniafreeman816]

Thank you for your video. It was very helpful!

[@GardenSanity]

My pleasure, Flonnia! Happy I could help! 🌼

[@ianshelton7881]

thank you x

[@GardenSanity]

You're welcome Ian!