A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Tulips and daffodils

Hi all. I have been reading here for quite some time now. Have learned so much, but now I have a question.
My new hubby and I bought a new house late last spring. I have had almost a year now to see what was growing around here. In some of the beds there are quite a few tulips and daffodils.This spring only a very few are blooming, even though alot came up. My question is if they need to be divided, when or do the bulbs just get too old and need to be dug up and replaced with new ones?
I live in the panhandle of Texas.

I am pretty new at this but already know there are several small beds that I will take everything out of and start new. There is lots of shade in the yard and the previous owners tried to plant sedum in all of the beds. It was so leggy last year. Needs more sun.

Thanks to anyone who may be able to help me.

Tim's sweetie

How thick are the daffs? They may need to be divided in the fall. Are you sure they aren't going to bloom? Maybe it's just too early. As far as tulips, they need to be replanted every 2 years. I don't know what happens to them but they just don't bloom right after 2 years.

Bestofour, thank you for your reply. The daffs aren't very thick. They have come up in sort of clumps or groups in various places in the bed. I have had 4 blooms. The others don't seem to be producing any buds. I will wait and see.

I had tulips not bloom once because the foliage had been cut back too early the year before. I have a couple of daffs that somehow got in a somewhat shady location, and they don't bloom lots of times. I don't know if maybe these could be possible reasons?

Hi Tim's Sweetie!!!
As for your daff's, they can be divided about 6 weeks after they flower... *so you can still see where they are and you don't slice thru one or two or three of them...they should be either replanted into where you want them right away or dried and stored until fall, and planted at the normal time bulbs like that would be planted....

Here's a bit of info, you'll find good reading...
Read the part about how bulbs will pull themselves down into the dirt...

*This might be your case, and if they're pulling themselves down into the dirt, it takes them so much more time and energy to get up to the surface, they've spent all of their "food" up on getting to the top of the soil....hence at the expense of the flower...

Also, if you've given the bulbs too much fertilizer with a high nitrogen number, it sends up alot of green growth and not much flower..

Naturalizing Daffodils in the Landscape

Weezie

Hello Tim's sweety. You have had quite a bit of snow in the panhandle this spring that may be one reason your not seeing blooms. Here in Dalls area ours are in full bloom but it is a lot warmer here than there. I divided my Daffodils in Feb. they are blooming like crasy. I know in Amarillo my cousin's have not bloomed like they have in years past but she claims it is because of the snow and cold weather.
Happy Gardening
Jimmy

Thanks so much for all the replies. I will take all into consideration.

JV--- You are so right about the snow we have had. However we had so much warm weather in Feb. it was unusual. My apricot tree bloomed very early. then the freeze came -- no apricots this year. There are lots of daffodils in bloom all over town. I will just wait and see. Maybe leave them for next year. <img border="0" alt="[perplexed]" title="" src="graemlins/confused.gif" />

Romalee

Hi you might try puting fire place ashes around your daffodils it helps them bloom you need to this befor they break through the ground the ashes are a fertilizer for them.just a old timeie thing i learned from some older folks in my comunity.i have tryed this and it has worked for me.put ashes over them during the winter mounths abought 1 inch of ashes.this should help.when replanting do not fertilize.you can separate them after they bloom and dry out but not befor the foliage drys out.hope this help you they should bloom great after the second year.your friend in gardeing. mike57