Daffodil Bulb question

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

I just cut down about 100 daffodil flowers that had bloomed and were now past their prime. Behind the flower at the top of the stem is a growth that seems to get bigger the longer the flower shrives up.

Is that the start of a bulb? What is it?

I figure I will have to dig up the bulbs one of these years and spread them out. And was curious what those growths were.

kindred cats · ‎04-04-2020

hi,

It is important to deadhead daffodils so that the seed pod does not use up all the energy in the bulb and it reblooms next season. I hope this helps. As a matter of fact, the sooner the better and I need to get it done to mine.

PA Mom-mom · ‎05-27-2015

@drizzellla Those are seed pods, similar to the pods you see behind daylilies. Unless you are going to propagate daffys using the seeds in the seed pods, you can snap them off. I was always told the daffy will put more energy into the growth of the bulb for next year if the seed pod is gone. Also, remember to not cut off the green leaves until they turn brown. I usually fold them over and rubber band them to keep them neat.

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

That's the seed pod. The reason you should deadhead daffodils is so the seed pod doesn't form or is cut off. Then the plant will put its energy into its bulb rather than into making seeds. A bigger bulb / more bulbets = more flowers next spring.

You can let the seed pod dry and the seeds disperse. It will take three to seven years for the new plant to form a bulb, and, hence, to produce flowers. That's why most people just plant bulbs and don't bother with seeds.

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

@ValuSkr wrote:
That's the seed pod. The reason you should deadhead daffodils is so the seed pod doesn't form or is cut off. Then the plant will put its energy into its bulb rather than into making seeds. A bigger bulb / more bulbets = more flowers next spring.

You can let the seed pod dry and the seeds disperse. It will take three to seven years for the new plant to form a bulb, and, hence, to produce flowers. That's why most people just plant bulbs and don't bother with seeds.

Thank you so much. My Mom told me to always cut the flowers off after they were done blooming. So every year I always made sure I did.

And I must say the daffodils in the flowerbed by my front door are doing so well. That is why I cut about 100 today. Thanks for your answer.

I am so tempted to buy more bulbs because this year everything is popping. I never had so many daffodils, tulips and iris before.

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

@PA Mom-mom wrote:
@drizzellla Those are seed pods, similar to the pods you see behind daylilies. Unless you are going to propagate daffys using the seeds in the seed pods, you can snap them off. I was always told the daffy will put more energy into the growth of the bulb for next year if the seed pod is gone. Also, remember to not cut off the green leaves until they turn brown. I usually fold them over and rubber band them to keep them neat.

That is one thing that I do. I make sure the leaves dry up before I pull them out. It makes the planting of my other plants late. But since the daffodils are doing so well, I am going to continue tying them up.

But we were just talking about that. Daffodils were planted along the side of some roads in the County. And they just cut them all down in spring with the industrial mowers. And yet they come back evey year. We are amazed how well they do.

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

@kindred cats wrote:
hi,

It is important to deadhead daffodils so that the seed pod does not use up all the energy in the bulb and it reblooms next season. I hope this helps. As a matter of fact, the sooner the better and I need to get it done to mine.

I had to laugh about your comment "the sooner the better". I was using one of my husband's favorite carbon steel knives to cut the flowers. He was quite upset that I was using kitchen knives to cut the flowers.

I assured him that I would wash and disinfect the knives before using it again on human food.

tototwo · ‎03-09-2010

I remember a Martha Stewart show from waaay back in the 80's or 90's -- she instructed us to use the outside tall leaf stalks of a daff bunch to tie around the inside stalks and create a fancy standing bundle with a bow tie. OK, this looked nice, but it took hours. I know this because I did it. Once. Never again. Now I just use kitchen shears to cut off the blooms, then let the stalks stand until they turn brown.

I have my daffs planted with daylilies and peonies -- by the time the daffs turn brown, the other perennials camoflage them until they disappear on their own.

* A woman is like a tea bag. You can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. *
- Eleanor Roosevelt

lulu1 · ‎03-29-2011

I know they say you should dead head your daffodils and I do. I see large areas all over the place (particularly along roads) of daffodils. No one ever dead heads them. Yet, year after year they come back more profusely. Sometimes I think we should just let Mother Nature take care of our plants.