Daffodil bulbs come in many beautiful varieties, brightening up gardens in the UK throughout the spring months. With such a range of daffodils, you can choose from different shapes, colours and appearances to get creative with your gardening. If well planted and looked after, you can count on your daffodils to bloom beautifully for many years to come.

There are some important points to consider when making sure you look after your daffodils properly, and give them the best start in life by planting them correctly. As long as you follow the pointers given here, you can count on your daffodils to brighten up your outdoor space and offer you a ray of sunshine each springtime.

Planting and growing daffodils – some top tips for success

Here is a brief guide to planting and growing daffodils to get the best results from them:

1. Pick quality bulbs. First and foremost, the bulbs need to be high quality, without any dampness or rot on them. They must come from a good nursery – the best way to make sure you get bulbs of the right quality is to buy them from a well-known online store. If you do end up with bulbs that are damaged or aren’t of the expected quality, you can often rectify this with the retailer. They can send you out some new daffodil bulbs in this instance.
2. Plant the bulbs in the right way, at the right time of year. They will usually need to be planted in September-November, so that they can grow and bloom in spring. You will usually begin to see small green shoots appearing in the early spring months. Make sure you plant the bulbs in well draining soil, at a depth of around 4-6 inches. You will also need to make sure they’re around 4-8 inches apart so they can grow healthy and strong without competing for light and space.
3. Choose the right spot. As previously mentioned, daffodils will only thrive if the soil is well draining and will provide them the right nutrients. Like narcissi, daffodils are often grown in borders and flowerbeds, and they can be easily naturalised in other spots too if left undisturbed. They might also do well in a pot or container if there is the right amount of light for them. If you want to make soil structure and drainage better, you can use organic matter to help.
4. When the bulbs have been planted, you should water the soil well to bed them down. This is particularly important if the weather has been dry and there is no rain forecast. This also gets rid of air pockets. Be careful to keep the soil moist, especially in containers where it can dry out faster.

It’s as simple as that. You will be able to grow daffodils again each year, especially if you continue to look after the soil, use fertiliser and mulch. Once flowers have died, it is usually best to deadhead them so energy isn’t wasted and the flowers can grow healthily again in future.