Oxford is a town of daffodils. Each spring, the city and surrounding areas are painted in yellow with such an abundance of daffodils as I have never seen anywhere before.
Right now, Fall, is the time to plant daffodil bulbs so if you want your yard strewn with yellow beauty, head to your nearest garden shop or make your purchase online and get those bulbs in the ground.
Daffodils need a cold spell before they can grow, so in Southern areas like ours, it is usually a good idea to refrigerate the bulbs for a few weeks before planting. However, with the winters we have had in recent years, there is enough chill in the ground to get these plants growing. If you have daffodils in the ground and experience a few mild winters then consider planting new bulbs because the ones in the ground may not grow again without a prolonged cold.
You can also dig them up and move them after a few weeks in the refrigerator. According to the American Daffodil Society, we should plant daffodil bulbs, here is Oxford, mid-October to mid-November; before the ground is frozen. Although that seems far off from today, time will creep up on you so plan your garden now. Buy your bulbs to have on hand. You may want to chill them first, just in case the weather forecast is not what we expect.
Daffodils come in a wide variety of colors and can bloom at different times. There are early-season blooming, mid-season and late blooming varieties that, when planted in the same garden, can prolong the look. Mix them all together or plant them in varying parts of your yard by their bloom time.
Don’t worry about squirrels and other rodents digging the bulbs up. There is something in the bulb that is poisonous to these critters and they know it.
Here’s how to plant daffodil bulbs:
– Plant them to a depth of about 2-3 times the diameter of each bulb. They are different sizes so each hole may be a different depth.
– Add planting soil around and on top of the bulbs if you know your soil is weak, sandy or mostly clay.
– Plant the pointy end up.
– Bulbs should not be too close together because they need space for their leaves.
– Water often all W inter long. The more water, the better the root system and the more plentiful the flowering.
– Before you know it, Spring will be here and we’ll have a yellow glowing town.
– The World Daffodil Convention will be held in St. Louis from April 6-10, 2016. That might be a fun place to spend time learning more about this wonderful flower that Oxford seems to love so much.
Eileen Saunders is a HottyToddy.com contributor who writes on curb appeal, gardening and real estate. Eileen is a REALTOR in the Oxford office of Tommy Morgan Inc., REALTORS. You can also find her offering gardening workshops at the Lafayette Oxford Public Library. Contact Eileen at eileen@tmhomes.com or call her at (662) 404-0816. For more home tips, follow her Facebook page.
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