Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I was just given a bag of daffodil bulbs and need to decide where to plant them. Between the front walkway and the lawn is a foot-wide strip covered with lava rocks (I think). If I planted them there, would I need to move the rocks, or will daffodils come up all right through the rocks?
If I plant them along the edge of the cul-de-sac or driveway, should I leave the lawn except where I need to get through for planting? Would the daffodils do all right, and would I regret this when the grass starts growing? (This is my first year in Western Washington, so I don't know the daffodil-lawn growth time overlap. In fact, I also don't know if there are already daffodils planted somewhere.)
How much winter sun do daffodils need? Do they need the warmth of the sunshine to tell them to come up, or do they just need it when they emerge?
ETA: They should come up in early February here. The bulbs are already starting to grow.
They will bloom this year where ever you plant them as the bulbs now contain all the stored energy they need to produce flowers.
However, neither of the places you described are good permanent bulb locations.
Daffodils are very successful in western Washington (unless the squirrels eat em all up).
Plant them in a bedding area where they will be undisturbed for many years and can grow and multiply.
Leave the greenery on after flowering till it browns and looks wilted, then you may cut it back.
They will bloom this year where ever you plant them as the bulbs now contain all the stored energy they need to produce flowers.
However, neither of the places you described are good permanent bulb locations.
Daffodils are very successful in western Washington (unless the squirrels eat em all up).
Plant them in a bedding area where they will be undisturbed for many years and can grow and multiply.
Leave the greenery on after flowering till it browns and looks wilted, then you may cut it back.
Why aren't they good places?
If I plant them in a bedding area, can I do something else with it while they are dormant? Or would I be sacrificing it?
Bulbs are plants too. They need nutritious soil and good growing conditions to thrive.
Does a strip of lava rock sound like good growing conditions? Is that a place you want to dig holes to install your bulbs? Would you expect flowers to thrive there?
The raw edge of your driveway in the yard is also not a very good location:
*Grass is very invasive, it will soon form a layer of lawn over your bulbs. You will mow this lawn. Your daffodils will never have a chance to stand enough greenery to nourish the bulb. In following years they will not flower.
*The edge of the driveway will take its fair share of foot traffic keeping the daffodils well trampled, and occasionally run over.
If you plant in a bedding area, of course you can plant other stuff in there! Just try not to dig the bulbs up while you're doing it. Best to plant bulbs with other perennials and shrubs so you're not in there digging everything up all the time.
Bulbs are plants too. They need nutritious soil and good growing conditions to thrive.
Does a strip of lava rock sound like good growing conditions? Is that a place you want to dig holes to install your bulbs? Would you expect flowers to thrive there?
The raw edge of your driveway in the yard is also not a very good location:
*Grass is very invasive, it will soon form a layer of lawn over your bulbs. You will mow this lawn. Your daffodils will never have a chance to stand enough greenery to nourish the bulb. In following years they will not flower.
*The edge of the driveway will take its fair share of foot traffic keeping the daffodils well trampled, and occasionally run over.
If you plant in a bedding area, of course you can plant other stuff in there! Just try not to dig the bulbs up while you're doing it. Best to plant bulbs with other perennials and shrubs so you're not in there digging everything up all the time.
Maybe I wasn't clear. The lava rock is on top of soil. I wouldn't plant bulbs in just rocks.
If I were to plant daffodils in the lawn, I would not mow that area until the leaves were dead. I'm not sure when lawn-mowing needs to start here, so if the daffodil leaves were still working, I'd have to either clip or pull weeds by hand (too much trouble) or let it look messy for a while (and upset DH). My daffodils in NC were at the edge of the lawn, by a retaining wall, where I could get away with them looking messy.
No one walks or drives next to the driveway. Why would they walk on wet grass (wet 9 months of the year) when the paved driveway is right there? I know you have not seen my yard or driveway, but that wouldn't be an issue here.
There are some beds with shrubs and perennials already established. I could find spots in there for the daffodils. For some reason I was picturing a new bed, specifically for daffodils.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
