Doug wrote:

A friend gave me a box full of daffs that he dug up in his yard while
he was clearing out an area. I know that Fall is the best time to
plant daffs, but I can't plan that far in advance. By that time I'm
usually sick of taking care of the garden. : ) Since I'm in planting
mode right now, I'd like to get them right into the ground. Do you
think they'll do well? Should I cut off the green tops or leave some
on?

we need more information.

if they have been kept moist and have roots/dirt
still on that is the best. leave the green stuff on
and get them planted ASAP. water in well. they will
likely look sickly and then die back as is normal
for this time of year, but you might still get some
flowers this way.

if instead they have no roots/dirt left on or the
roots have been dried out and are dead then chop the
leaves off. they won't be doing anything other than
sucking moisture and nutrients from the bulb until
they figure out they should be dead.

in the second case, it is better to not plant them
right away until they have cured (the leaves have
all gone brown and come off easily). however, if you
have a lot of them and don't really care if every
single one makes it then plant them all and some will
likely be ok. if you only have a few and each is
precious (different variety or whatever) then it is
better to cure them and plant later in summer.

fall/late fall planting is ok, but if you can get
them in the ground mid-to-late August through
September that gives them more time to get going for
next year. many people don't put them in because
they aren't available or want the space for something
else... i find many bulbs already sprouting roots
and sending up a leaf for next spring by this time
of the year.

this all said, they are being interrupted during
the critical stage of their growth cycle so it may
take next year's growth before they will bloom well
again two springs from now...

good luck,


songbird