Blind Daffodils - Why?

I planted 2 large sacks of daffodils in my lawn in Oct 2005 Last year and again this spring only 2 or 3 have flowering heads. Plenty of fronds appear but the lawn does not look the way I had intended. Any suggestions gratefully rec'd Geoff

Blind Daffodils - Why?
There can be many reasons for a lack of blooms,



1. bargain bulbs; they often disappoint



2. It is better to plant daffodils in large trenches instead of individual holes.



3. Make sure the daffodil bulbs are planted pointed side up, root side down.



If your bulbs are planted properly and aren't rotting give them a chance to prove themselves this spring; after some fertilizer encouragement they may please you. Good luck!
Reply:I reckon they are planted too deep. I should think it would be very hard to dig and replant them higher, so I don't recommend that. Fertilize them this year while leaves are still green with phosphorus and potassium only - i.e. a fertilizer with 0 as a first number, like 0-15-15 or 0-25-12. Then do not touch the leaves to cut them off until they turn brown, then disintegrate, on their own. (Really if you let them disintegrate you won't have to cut them at all.)

Next year you will probably have flowers.
Reply:Daffs need to use their leaves to get enough food packed in before they go to sleep for the rest of the year. If you take the leaves off early they don't have chance to stock up on that food store so just don't have enough energy to flower so put out lots of leaves to see if they can get more food to bulk up on energy. Leave the leaves a bit longer before cutting down this year. It's tempting to cut them back as they start to look scratty but hang on, it will be worth it. A good way to know when you can cut them down is by giving a leaf a gentle tug, if it comes out without a fight, it's time to cut it back. Good Luck!
Reply:Planted to close or too deep is usually the reason.
Reply:plant them deep ish and spacious and end of season just tie the leaves in a knot and they will decay giving you a stronger strain next year//you obviously planted them to close and maybe too shallow
Reply:Daffodils which are not planted deep enough will split into smaller bulbs instead of flowering, it is teir way of survival, a kind of alternative breeding strategy. They should be planted twice as deep as they are high ie if your bulb is two inches high plant it with two inches of soil above it. They will subsequently burrow into the soil. If your problem is due to shallow planting they will eventually sort themselves out. Another major cause of blind bulbs is using too much nitrogen fertiliser. Only ever use a balanced gentle feed such as fish, blood and bone and only use this once in the autumn. If you have been feeding your lawn this might have done it.
Reply:daffodils that are planted too close together can grow blind.



give the daffodils a good feed and do not cut them down when finished the leaves feed the bulbs. would you believe i just twist them around leave for 6 weeks with a rubber band around them. then they should have died down naturally. feed with bonemeal. after the rest bloom. they will not come back this year.



they will come back
Reply:Can be because planted too late or bulbs have not split, this can be done by digging up and splitting by hand.

Bleaching