Daffodil: planting, dividing and storing the bulb

Store	Bulb. Cut it in half: you see layers like an onion.
Depth	10-15 cm to the base of the bulb
Spacing	10-15 cm apart
When	Plant in autumn. Plant: from your first autumn frost to 6 weeks after. Work out your dates.
Pets	Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses (ASPCA)

Store

Bulb. Cut it in half: you see layers like an onion.

Depth

10-15 cm to the base of the bulb

Spacing

10-15 cm apart

When

Plant in autumn. Plant: from your first autumn frost to 6 weeks after. Work out your dates.

Pets

Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses (ASPCA)

About Daffodil

Reliable and long-lived. Rodents and deer leave them alone, which is why they naturalise so well in grass.

Depth and spacing

Typical range: 10-15 cm deep and 10-15 cm apart. A general rule is to plant at two to three times the height of the bulb; check the label for your variety. The drawing is to scale for 12.5 cm deep and 12.5 cm apart (the size of the organ is illustrative); try your own measurements.

When to plant

Plant in autumn. Plant: from your first autumn frost to 6 weeks after. These are rules of thumb for the northern hemisphere. Enter your frost dates for real dates.

Dividing and propagating

Divide congested clumps just after the foliage dies back, or lift in late summer, and replant at once; daffodil bulbs dislike drying out for long.

Lifting and storing

Best left in the ground. If you must lift, replant within a few weeks, or keep dry bulbs in a cool airy place until autumn.

Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Horses

The ASPCA lists Narcissus spp as: toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses. Toxic principle: Lycorine and other alkaloids. Signs: Vomiting, salvation, diarrhea; large ingestions cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors and cardiac arrhythmias. Bulbs are the most poisonous part. If your pet has chewed any part, call your vet or an animal poison helpline. ASPCA entry.

Daffodil