In article , "Shelly"
wrote:

Anyone else here grow Rip Van Winkles? I first bought some 2 falls ago. When
they bloomed last spring they were just adorable, so i put a ton more in
last fall. Now I see that the flowers from last years bulbs are no longer as
cute as they were the first year... The first year the flowers were about 6
inches tall, bright yellow, and looked kind of like full little dandilion
blossoms. This year they are at least eight inches tall, scraggly looking
and more greenish than yellow.

Does anyone know if these daffies just fade over time, or is there anything
I can do to get them to bloom better next year?

Thanks as always!
Shelly

I think they're SUPPOSED to naturalize; but mine also bloomed less well
the second year than the first year. All the bushes in that area got so
much bigger, so I assumed it was because the daffodils didn't get as much
sun for this season. I was considering lifting a lot of the bulbs to move
to a sunnier location. Or maybe a little post-bloom phosphorus feed will
help them for next year.

Another possibility: miniature daffodils don't naturalize properly if
their foliage is prematurely cut back after they're done blooming,
resulting in weaker flowering their second spring.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/