Why Your Daffodils Aren’t Flowering This Spring (And How to Fix Blind Bulbs)
Symbolising the first sign of spring, daffodils are planted from September to November, with their flowers emerging from February to May. But some have been having issues with their daffodils this spring–they aren’t flowering.
Daffodils that grow foliage but do not produce flowers are called ‘blind daffodils’, and turns out, many blooms aren’t blooming right now as Eflorist have spotted that searches for “Blind daffodils, what to do” and “Will blind daffodils flower again?” have both seen 5,000%+ increases over the past month.
David Denyer, flower and garden expert at Eflorist with over 35 years of experience, shares advice on why your daffodils have grown blind, and what you can do to prepare them for next year.
His advice includes:
- Where daffodils are best to plant
- The fertilisers to use for your daffodils
- Why you should leave daffodils for 6 weeks before mowing
- When to replant any daffodils that haven’t flowered
On why your daffodils may not have flowered:
“Blind daffodils can be caused by multiple elements, from the soil they are planted in all the way to when you cut their leaves last summer.
“A key reason for daffodils not flowering can be lack of sunlight. Daffodils thrive in sunny spots, requiring at least 6 hours of sunlight each day when they have been planted. So be sure you’ve planted your blooms in a part of your garden that gets a lot of sunlight. Avoid planting them under trees which will soak up their sun and shield them from rain.
“If your soil has been very dry over winter, your daffodils may be dehydrated. This means they haven’t been storing energy over this period, and so don’t have the energy to produce flowers come spring time.
“Improper fertilisation and low nutrients in your soil could also be contributing to daffodil blindness. New bulbs will usually flower well in their first year, but you may find they struggle to grow back as their soil runs low on nutrients, this is why it’s important to fertilise your daffodils with the correct mix.
“Fertilisers with high levels of nitrogen will mean your plant prioritises growing its leaves rather than flowering, leading to plenty of foliage, and sadly, no flowers. Gardens should look for high potassium fertilisers to make sure their daffodils have enough energy stored for spring blooming.
“After a few years of growth, you may also find you have a big cluster of daffodils in one spot. This can look great, but if you have too many daffodils planted close together, they may be suffering from overcrowding and having to compete for nutrients–leading to blind daffodils.”
On what to do with blind daffodils to encourage flowering:
“While there is no quick fix for blind daffodils growing, there are ways to encourage them to flower next year.
“You should wait for your daffodil’s foliage to die off in summer, as this will help them absorb energy back into the soil. In fact, cutting your daffodils back too soon can actually cause daffodil blindness, as it stops your flowers building up food reserves.
“For any issues such as overcrowding or shady spots, you can dig and replant your bulbs in a better spot. Mark your daffodils with wooden sticks so you can find them when their foliage has died down.
“Replant them from September to October while the soil is still warm. When planting daffodils, choose a very sunny spot, and make sure you plant them 4-6 inches apart to prevent them being crowded.
“If replanting, mix some bone meal into your soil to make sure your flowers will get enough nutrients. If you’re not replanting, you can simply sprinkle a potassium rich fertiliser onto their bases.
“After flowering, you can deadhead your daffodils once they start withering. When it comes to cleaning up your lawn, you should wait until at least six weeks after your daffodils have flowered before you remove any leaves or mow. Allowing your daffodils time to die back naturally will help them bloom next spring.”
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