Daffodils – Planting out from Pots

Daffodils from PotsIf you’ve grown daffodils in pots, perhaps on a patio or even to bunch them in a decorative bed, then don”t waste them at the end of the year. Planting the daffodil bulbs out into a lawn or border will give you many more years of pleasure.

 

In this video, Sam Youd, head gardener at the world famous Tatton Park Gardens shows us exactly when and how to take the daffodil bulbs from the pot and how to plant them. Note his comment at the end about scattering them on the ground and planting where they land for a natural look.

Also note the depth they should be planted out at: about a spade’s depth.

What he doesn’t mention is that for a good show you need to feed the plants in spring and summer so that they rebuild their food stocks in the bulb.

If you don’t help  them to do this or hinder them by cutting the foliage down early, they will eventually cease to flower altogether before dying off.

Daffodils are such an under rated flower – they’re bright and full of life when little else is showing in the garden in early spring.  Here in North Wales daffodils brighten so many of the road verges until the bluebells take over.

Posted in Tatton Gardens, General Gardening, Flowers
8 comments on “Daffodils – Planting out from Pots
  1. Jane Prescott says:

    I am planning to transplant some daffodils from pots to the garden and it says above that I should feed my daffodil plants in spring and summer so that they rebuild their food stocks in the bulb.

    What type of feed should I use please?

    • John Harrison says:

      Just use a general purpose fertiliser like growmore or fish, blood & bone – a handful per square yard at most. Add some extra bonemeal (1 bonemeal to 3 general fertiliser) if you have it available.
      Don’t tie up the leaves or cut them – let them go down naturally.
      If you’re planting into a lawn, feed the lawn as normal and feed the daffs on top of that.

  2. Jane Prescott says:

    Thanks John, for your quick and helpful reply. I will take this on board when I do the transplanting. I already have all the feed you mentioned.

  3. Sharon Marsden says:

    Hi John,
    Can I transplant daffodil bulbs which are currently in pots into a prepared garden bed, now or should I wait till the Autumn?
    Best wishes,
    Sharon.

    • John Harrison says:

      Hi Sharon – let them die back naturally and plant out the bulbs in the autumn would be best.

  4. jill says:

    can I take daffodils after flowering out of a pot in one solid lump to let them dry out as I am wanting to use the pots for other flowers?

    • John Harrison says:

      Best to let the foliage die back first so the bulbs have energy for next year. Or buy a cheap plastic pot and move to that.

  5. Roberta says:

    Do I keep watering daffodils as they die back in pots? I plan to plant in my garden.

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