Plant daffodils now
You can still plant daffodil bulbs in March — Tom’s Guide walks through timing, soil depth and tips to boost your odds of a strong spring show. (tomsguide.com)
Plant bulbs about two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall — for most common daffodils that means a planting depth of roughly 4–6 inches (measure bulb height and multiply by 2–3). (missouribotanicalgarden.org) Space bulbs roughly 4–10 inches apart depending on bulb size, with larger varieties toward the wider end of that range to avoid crowding and to encourage naturalizing. (missouribotanicalgarden.org) Daffodils generally require about 12–16 weeks of cold exposure (vernalization) at temperatures in the neighborhood of 35–45°F to reliably initiate flower buds, so bulbs planted very late in spring often set weak or no blooms the first year. (johnnyseeds.com) In warm-winter areas (USDA zones 9–10) growers are routinely advised to pre-chill bulbs for roughly 16–18 weeks at 38–45°F before planting; refrigeration instructions from seed suppliers also warn not to store bulbs next to fruit (ethylene damage). (johnnyseeds.com) Good drainage and organically rich loam are repeatedly emphasized by extension services because waterlogged soil causes bulb rot, and established guidance recommends leaving foliage until it yellows so the bulb can replenish nutrients for next year’s bloom. (extension.missouri.edu) (missouribotanicalgarden.org) If soil is frozen or waterlogged in late-season planting windows, common alternatives are to pot bulbs in free-draining potting mix for delayed planting or to pre-chill bulbs and force them indoors, a process that typically combines 12–16 weeks of chilling followed by 3–4 weeks of active growth to flower. (tomsguide.com) (plantgrowerworld.com)
