Anthony Halfpenny, Yeovil, Somerset
Stefan says: Daffodils that come up with foliage but no flowers are referred to as ‘blind’. I know this is truly frustrating although I’m afraid in some instances, blindness can’t be avoided and is a result of the varieties chosen being inappropriate for long-term naturalising in the garden. There is nothing wrong with varieties that are unsuitable for naturalising, but they must be dug up after flowering and are really best for container growing. But given a suitable variety, the biggest secret in ensuring the production of good and continuing blooms lies with planting depth. Most people plant most bulbs far too shallow.
There is a general guideline I use myself: plant bulbs at a depth approximately equal to two and a half times their average diameter. This sounds frightfully complicated but is just a guide, not a precise regulation, and I would advise planting even deeper. It’s far better to err on the side of a greater depth and with a really large bulb, such as a lily, this can mean planting them with their base over 20cm deep.
After planting depth, the most common reason for bulb failure is rotting of the basal plate – that area at the base of the bulb from where the roots emerge. This rotting can be minimised by simply sitting the bulbs on a bed of horticultural sand when you plant them. And add to the sand a scattering of bonemeal which will help root establishment.
Daffodils an
