non-flowering daffodils

[Richard Wright]

In my area of Sydney (inner) daffodils mostly come up non-flowering in
the second season after planting.

Does anybody know whether the bulbs ever produce flowers in a season
after one in which they have been non-flowering? I suspect that once
they have been non-flowering then they will never flower again.

Has anybody any experience (i.e. experience as distinct from
anecdotes) with how to stop them going into a non-flowering condition.

I did read about digging them up in autumn and putting them in the
fridge for a couple of months. That didn't work for me.

[Andrew]

Richard Wright wrote:
> In my area of Sydney (inner) daffodils mostly come up non-flowering in
> the second season after planting.
>
> Does anybody know whether the bulbs ever produce flowers in a season
> after one in which they have been non-flowering? I suspect that once
> they have been non-flowering then they will never flower again.
>
> Has anybody any experience (i.e. experience as distinct from
> anecdotes) with how to stop them going into a non-flowering condition.
>
> I did read about digging them up in autumn and putting them in the
> fridge for a couple of months. That didn't work for me.

Insufficient nutrient availability is probably the main reason for poor
flowering in Daff's. Start feeding them with a high potassium
fertiliser/commercial bulb food. Normally you'd do this after flowering
until they go dormant. I wouldn't have thought Sydney winters were warm
enough to necessitate putting them in the fridge.

[Farm1]

"Richard Wright" > wrote in message

> In my area of Sydney (inner) daffodils mostly come up non-flowering
in
> the second season after planting.

Sydney isn't naturally cold enough for daffodils. You need to lift
them each year and put then in a paper bag int he crisper section of
the fridge for 6 weeks before replanting them.

> Does anybody know whether the bulbs ever produce flowers in a season
> after one in which they have been non-flowering? I suspect that once
> they have been non-flowering then they will never flower again.

No they just need cold (at least in Sydney). They will reflower if
treated right.

> I did read about digging them up in autumn and putting them in the
> fridge for a couple of months. That didn't work for me.

How long did you put them in the fridge for and did you put them in a
sunny spot when you replanted them? And they don't like to be
overfed.

[Jen]

"Farm1" <please@askifyouwannaknow> wrote in message
...
> "Richard Wright" > wrote in message
>
>> In my area of Sydney (inner) daffodils mostly come up non-flowering
> in
>> the second season after planting.
>
> Sydney isn't naturally cold enough for daffodils. You need to lift
> them each year and put then in a paper bag int he crisper section of
> the fridge for 6 weeks before replanting them.
>
>> Does anybody know whether the bulbs ever produce flowers in a season
>> after one in which they have been non-flowering? I suspect that once
>> they have been non-flowering then they will never flower again.
>
> No they just need cold (at least in Sydney). They will reflower if
> treated right.
>
>> I did read about digging them up in autumn and putting them in the
>> fridge for a couple of months. That didn't work for me.
>
> How long did you put them in the fridge for and did you put them in a
> sunny spot when you replanted them? And they don't like to be
> overfed.

I heard that in Australia there is no need to refrigerate.

I recently looked up the same problem. It turns out if they're not planted
deeply enough, they won't flower, and they're bulblets become non-flowering
bulbs. I'm not sure if this can be fixed. Also some varieties may only
flower every 2nd year, so you may be flowerless sometimes - it's a good idea
to plant new ones in the flowerless year.

I've planted mine deeper now, so I'll see if they flower next year, if they
don't I think I might take them out and start again with some new ones.
It's a shame because I had all sorts of varieties.

Jen

[ant[_5_]]

Some rotten bird has been murdering my white narcissus. I had huge drifts of
them under the (sticklike) birches, and every day they are snipped off (put
them in little vases).
The dwarf daffs came out on the rock walls last week.
And this week, finally, the king alfred giant daffs came out, they were the
first to sprout up but the last to flower. they're in a very protected
garden, it might not have been cold enough.
Quite a good show this year.

--
ant
Don't try to email me;
I'm borrowing the spammer du jour's addy

[Farm1]

"Jen" > wrote in message
> "Farm1" <please@askifyouwannaknow> wrote in message
> > "Richard Wright" > wrote in message
> >
> >> In my area of Sydney (inner) daffodils mostly come up
non-flowering
> > in
> >> the second season after planting.
> >
> > Sydney isn't naturally cold enough for daffodils. You need to
lift
> > them each year and put then in a paper bag int he crisper section
of
> > the fridge for 6 weeks before replanting them.
> >
> >> Does anybody know whether the bulbs ever produce flowers in a
season
> >> after one in which they have been non-flowering? I suspect that
once
> >> they have been non-flowering then they will never flower again.
> >
> > No they just need cold (at least in Sydney). They will reflower
if
> > treated right.
> >
> >> I did read about digging them up in autumn and putting them in
the
> >> fridge for a couple of months. That didn't work for me.
> >
> > How long did you put them in the fridge for and did you put them
in a
> > sunny spot when you replanted them? And they don't like to be
> > overfed.
>
> I heard that in Australia there is no need to refrigerate.

Well that seems strange advice given the range of climates in Oz.
What climate was the writer talking about? Growing daffs in Hobart is
certainly very different to trying to grow then in Brisbane.

> I recently looked up the same problem. It turns out if they're not
planted
> deeply enough, they won't flower, and they're bulblets become
non-flowering
> bulbs. I'm not sure if this can be fixed.

Small bulbs won't flower so when you separate them from the mother
plant just replant them and give them a while to grow fat and they
should come right.

Do you dead head your daffs? Leaving the seed heads on them can cause
non flowering as can the too shallow planting or dryness or not enough
sun.

> I've planted mine deeper now, so I'll see if they flower next year,
if they
> don't I think I might take them out and start again with some new
ones.
> It's a shame because I had all sorts of varieties.

You have my sympathy as I lost a few varieties in the worst of the
drought.

[Chookie]

In article >,
Richard Wright > wrote:

> In my area of Sydney (inner) daffodils mostly come up non-flowering in
> the second season after planting.
>
> Does anybody know whether the bulbs ever produce flowers in a season
> after one in which they have been non-flowering? I suspect that once
> they have been non-flowering then they will never flower again.

Probably. Flowering is triggered after frost, and Sydney's winters are milder
than they used to be. We didn't have a single frost this year.

> Has anybody any experience (i.e. experience as distinct from
> anecdotes) with how to stop them going into a non-flowering condition.
>
> I did read about digging them up in autumn and putting them in the
> fridge for a couple of months. That didn't work for me.

Were the bulbs nice and fat when you dug them up?

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

[Jen]

"Farm1" <please@askifyouwannaknow> wrote in message
...
> "Jen" > wrote in message
>> "Farm1" <please@askifyouwannaknow> wrote in message
>> > "Richard Wright" > wrote in message
>> >
>> >> In my area of Sydney (inner) daffodils mostly come up
> non-flowering
>> > in
>> >> the second season after planting.
>> >
>> > Sydney isn't naturally cold enough for daffodils. You need to
> lift
>> > them each year and put then in a paper bag int he crisper section
> of
>> > the fridge for 6 weeks before replanting them.
>> >
>> >> Does anybody know whether the bulbs ever produce flowers in a
> season
>> >> after one in which they have been non-flowering? I suspect that
> once
>> >> they have been non-flowering then they will never flower again.
>> >
>> > No they just need cold (at least in Sydney). They will reflower
> if
>> > treated right.
>> >
>> >> I did read about digging them up in autumn and putting them in
> the
>> >> fridge for a couple of months. That didn't work for me.
>> >
>> > How long did you put them in the fridge for and did you put them
> in a
>> > sunny spot when you replanted them? And they don't like to be
>> > overfed.
>>
>> I heard that in Australia there is no need to refrigerate.
>
> Well that seems strange advice given the range of climates in Oz.
> What climate was the writer talking about? Growing daffs in Hobart is
> certainly very different to trying to grow then in Brisbane.
>
>> I recently looked up the same problem. It turns out if they're not
> planted
>> deeply enough, they won't flower, and they're bulblets become
> non-flowering
>> bulbs. I'm not sure if this can be fixed.
>
> Small bulbs won't flower so when you separate them from the mother
> plant just replant them and give them a while to grow fat and they
> should come right.
>
> Do you dead head your daffs? Leaving the seed heads on them can cause
> non flowering as can the too shallow planting or dryness or not enough
> sun.
>
>> I've planted mine deeper now, so I'll see if they flower next year,
> if they
>> don't I think I might take them out and start again with some new
> ones.
>> It's a shame because I had all sorts of varieties.
>
> You have my sympathy as I lost a few varieties in the worst of the
> drought.


Do you think they'll come good though??

Jen

[Farm1]

"Jen" > wrote in message
> "Farm1" <please@askifyouwannaknow> wrote in message

> >> I recently looked up the same problem. It turns out if they're
not
> > planted
> >> deeply enough, they won't flower, and they're bulblets become
> > non-flowering
> >> bulbs. I'm not sure if this can be fixed.
> >
> > Small bulbs won't flower so when you separate them from the mother
> > plant just replant them and give them a while to grow fat and they
> > should come right.
> >
> > Do you dead head your daffs? Leaving the seed heads on them can
cause
> > non flowering as can the too shallow planting or dryness or not
enough
> > sun.
> >
> >> I've planted mine deeper now, so I'll see if they flower next
year,
> > if they
> >> don't I think I might take them out and start again with some new
> > ones.
> >> It's a shame because I had all sorts of varieties.
> >
> > You have my sympathy as I lost a few varieties in the worst of the
> > drought.
>
>
> Do you think they'll come good though??

Yes I do, but there are a few provisos. You need frost or to cold
treat them if you live in a frost free area and you need to grow the
small ones till they are big and fat and plant the daffs in sun (deep
as you know) and deadhead the flowers so that they don't get the fat
seed pod where the flower was. And don't cut or tie the foliage even
though it looks untidy and give them a bit of a feed after flowering
something like tomato food will work.

[ant[_5_]]

I've had a wonderful show of daffodills this year. But, oddly, the ones that
started coming up first, have only just now begun flowering. And, they were
in a sheltered garden, on the east side, with a raised stair on the east
side. The others, a bit more exposed, have come and gone quite fast. And
just now, the last few days, these big yellow things have all flowered.
so I suspect that this lot got the steady sun to keep them coming, but the
sudden big warm knocked them off course.

--
ant
Don't try to email me;
I'm borrowing the spammer du jour's addy

[Jen]

"Farm1" <please@askifyouwannaknow> wrote in message
...
> "Jen" > wrote in message
>> "Farm1" <please@askifyouwannaknow> wrote in message
>
>> >> I recently looked up the same problem. It turns out if they're
> not
>> > planted
>> >> deeply enough, they won't flower, and they're bulblets become
>> > non-flowering
>> >> bulbs. I'm not sure if this can be fixed.
>> >
>> > Small bulbs won't flower so when you separate them from the mother
>> > plant just replant them and give them a while to grow fat and they
>> > should come right.
>> >
>> > Do you dead head your daffs? Leaving the seed heads on them can
> cause
>> > non flowering as can the too shallow planting or dryness or not
> enough
>> > sun.
>> >
>> >> I've planted mine deeper now, so I'll see if they flower next
> year,
>> > if they
>> >> don't I think I might take them out and start again with some new
>> > ones.
>> >> It's a shame because I had all sorts of varieties.
>> >
>> > You have my sympathy as I lost a few varieties in the worst of the
>> > drought.
>>
>>
>> Do you think they'll come good though??
>
> Yes I do, but there are a few provisos. You need frost or to cold
> treat them if you live in a frost free area and you need to grow the
> small ones till they are big and fat and plant the daffs in sun (deep
> as you know) and deadhead the flowers so that they don't get the fat
> seed pod where the flower was. And don't cut or tie the foliage even
> though it looks untidy and give them a bit of a feed after flowering
> something like tomato food will work.
>
>

I'm in Melbourne, we have the frosts. The other things I do. Thanks.
Hopefully next year they'll be right then.

Jen