Enjoy cheerful daffodils as the first sign of spring! Learn how to plant them in the fall and ensure a beautiful and fragrant garden when the weather warms up.
When shopping, look for bulbs that are large, firm, and have good color. And choose a site in your yard that has good drainage and receives at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.
Before planting bulbs, place them in the garden to plan their design.
Dig holes to the recommended depth usually 6-8" depending on the variety. I prefer to dig larger holes and plant in groupings of odd numbers than to dig individual holes for each bulb. Planting 100s of bulbs goes much faster this way too!
Plant bulbs upright with the pointed ends up and root side down at the recommended depth (see plant tag for how deep to plant bulbs). But as a general rule, plant bulbs three times as deep as the bulb’s greatest dimension.
Before backfilling the hole, add organic matter like peat moss to add drainage and help enrich the soil.
Mix in a special bulb fertilizer. Avoid using bone meal if rodents, skunks, or other small mammals are an issue. Bone meal attracts them.
Backfill the holes.
Follow along to learn more about planting daffodils in fall.