Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Dig up daffodil bulbs for replanting in the fall
John Arbogast
Landscape consultant John Arbogast answers your questions every Thursday. Send questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to:
Dear John
5102 Greenfield St. SW
Roanoke, Va. 24018
Or send an e-mail. Answers will be given only in this column. Please don't send pictures or samples.
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Q: I have 300 or more bulbs. I want to move them to a new spot. What is the best way and time?
A: Leave the bulbs alone for as long as the foliage is still green. The color means that photosynthesis is still going on and the food manufactured will be stored in the bulbs for next spring’s blooming. Once the foliage turns yellow, the plant can no longer produce food for itself. That's when you can begin digging up the bulbs.
In the e-mail you sent me with this question, your “subject” box said “daffodil,” but your note didn’t say if any of the 300 bulbs that you want to move are other types. Daffodils are the most easygoing of all spring flowering bulbs.
Your note also did not say where you live, which is an important factor in determining a time to move your bulbs. If you’re in the Roanoke area, some daffodil foliage is probably still present, so you'll know where to dig without stabbing bulbs hidden in the ground.
Begin right away -- as soon as the bulb leaves turn yellow and you can still tell where the daffodils are located. Use a potato-digging fork for this job. It might also be called a "landscape fork." The important thing is that you use a fork with wide points that will lift rather soft soil.
Next, spread the bulbs out in a rodent-free bright -- but not hot or sunny -- place so they can dry. Gently cut off yellow and brown bulb foliage. Separate bulbs by their bloom color and height. You can place sorted bulbs in paper bags, but they should not be stacked deeper than 2 to 3 layers per bag.
In the next step, the easygoing nature of daffodils pays off. Daffodil bulbs can be planted in well-drained spots immediately after drying or stored in dry locations until planting in mid-fall.
Adequately digging deeply in hard, droughty clay soil might be difficult. However, it is important that daffodil bulbs be covered with 6 to 7 inches of soil. I have planted masses of spring flowering bulbs by using a bulb-planting drill bit auger on my cordless drill to make individual holes. I have also tried digging out 8-inch-deep planting beds to place the bulbs on before covering the whole area. One method is not better than the other.
You won't need to apply fertilizer on the surface of the ground during the bulb-planting phase. The old recommendation of working bone meal into the bottom soil when planting bulbs can be helpful if the flowerbed where you will relocate your 300 bulbs has never been planted in before and has a light color. Bone meal is a good organic source of phosphorus. Your daffodils will need phosphorus when the bulbs take root this fall. This nutrient does not move down as readily as nitrogen does. And pre-planting will be your only opportunity to place phosphorus down deeply. Mix in two heaping tablespoons of bone meal per bulb location or 3 cups per 100 square feet of bulb area if you plan to dig out a large space for your 300 bulbs.
Q: Have you heard about a program that gives away trees and shrubs to the public and employs workers with disabilities? Is the program available here in the Roanoke area?
A: I have read about this program, which I think was called something like “FreeTreesAndPlants.com." I’m not familiar with it, but the information that I have seen about it certainly talks about a worthy workforce.
I understand from the article that I read that its workers process, package and send rescued plants to customers, so I wouldn’t think that they have garden centers. I understand that this project also offers perennials.
Sorry, but I don’t have first-hand knowledge about the quality or size of plants available. I would guess that the size would be fairly small since the plants are mailed to recipients.
I also read that "FreeTreesAndPlants.com" does not charge for the plants and only charges for processing and shipping.
The website of the project, www.freetreesandplants.com, would be a good place to find some more details.
GARDENERS' TIP: Conserve water now in this scattered droughty weather. Set your priorities so that you only water selected plants or special parts of the landscape, like flowerbeds or container plants. Water early in the morning to prevent the rapid evaporation that intense sun can cause.
