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Early Narcissus foliage untidy - what to do?!

NewGardener2021NewGardener2021 Posts: 14
in Problem solving
Hi all, newbie gardener here!

I planted bulbs last autumn in this pot. It contains:
Narcissus tete-a-tete
Muscari
Crocus - two varieties (Tricolor and Grand Maitre)

The (presumably daffodil?) leaves emerged well before Christmas. I just left them to it, which I believe is the right thing to do.

Now we're in February and the crocuses are coming up, but the old Narcissus leaves are drowning the poor beggars. Is there anything I can do, or do I just have to leave them? 

No Narcissus flowers in this one yet... my other two pots containing Narcissus, planned at the same time, are already starting to flower.

Sorry for the picture being sideways; dunno how that happened.

Thanks in advance for any tips!



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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'm afraid this is the common problem with these bulb 'lasagnes'.
    Timing can be altered due to weather conditions, so  daffs may be emerging much earlier than normal. I'm afraid that's just how it is.
    Muscari foliage emerges a very long time before the flowers too. That's possibly what's there. Narcissus foliage is much stiffer, but I don't grow tete a tetes so it's hard to compare. 

    The photos have been a nightmare for a very long time. They have to be small enough to load correctly. If they're around 1MB or smaller it helps.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @New Gardner If both pots were planted at the same time with the same medium and light, not sure you will get any flowers .Did you plant Narcissus  deeply enough would be my thought? The leaves that appeared before Christmas would be the Muscari.

    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • CrazybeeladyCrazybeelady Posts: 778
    Hello, my understanding is that you just have to suck it up! The daffodils need their leaves so you can't chop them off. But you learn from it and next year you plant different things together. If you're clever (not me!), you plant in a way that things grow at different times and they then cover up foliage that has become straggly. Maybe dont put crocuses with daffs next year. We all learn each year what works and what doesn't. The sideways picture is an annoying thing that happens on this site, you have to crop a picture to make it go the right way up!
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Going for a late flowering Narcissus or a tulip like Ballerina , might be a good idea. If you are able to plant Tete a Tete in the garden they will grow well for years to come. You could plant a geranium [not a pelagonium this was mentioned in another thread] to cover the Narcissus leaves as they take six weeks to die back and recharge the bulbs. This type of 'lasagne' planting is not easy until you get to know your plants but that's part of the fun.  
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I plant tete a tete daffs only as they have much less in the way of foliage.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Dwarf Narcissi are a much better bet generally, their foliage does not get in the way. IMO the same applies in borders too.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    My Tete a tete are only about an inch tall at the moment ... whereas my Minnow are blooming ... 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • NewGardener2021NewGardener2021 Posts: 14
    Thank you all! 

    I'll suck it up this year!

    To be fair, for most of my pots I followed 'recipes' designed by people much cleverer than me - this one was a bit of 'well these are left over so I'll bung 'em in this pot'.  :D Lesson learned...

    Should I empty out the pot later this year and start again with it?

    @Fairygirl @GardenerSuze You are right, I assumed it was the Narcissus but it's actually the muscari. Looked at one of my other pots with muscari in and those leaves are indeed floppy!  :o #learningallthetime

    The other pots all seem to be doing okay, fingers crossed.  :)




  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Dovefromabove Minnow before Tete a Tete just shows we can never be sure what is going on!
    @NewGardener2021 Love the white crocus spring is on it's way!  You can empty the pot you are unhappy with when the foliage on the Narcissus has died back. Muscari are bomb proof in some gardens the deep blue one can take over. Keep going and I am sure you will be inventing your own lasagne by the autumn.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Afraid fairy is correct
     I think most of us, have stopped doing the bulb lasagne. Unfortunately,you have to leave the daffodil leaves to yellow up. I only put them in alone now, when they've flowered,they are tucked out of sight.
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