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Daffodil seed
alfharris8
Posts: 513
in Plants
We are always told to cut the heads from potted daffodils after flowering to maximise the bulbs energy but if you throw the cut head into grass is there any chance at all of germination?
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When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Someyears, and on some daffs, I have left the seeds to ripen and distribute. I have never had any germination. perhaps the result would be different under controlled indoor conditions.
Either cutting or pulling, it seems logical to save the plant's energy. But I have never seen any proof that it works. We are told with agapanthus that it is OK to leave the seed heads. We are told with rhodendrons to deadhead, but it is too difficult with azaleas, so we leave them.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I have loads about to open but the slugs have got to them first.
Yes - your seed wouldn't be viable once you remove the head as @punkdoc says. They spread more easily by producing new bulbils/bulbs, so it's easier to either let them do that, or actively lift and separate them now and again.
In the wild, that's generally how they do it, but not all of the cultivated varieties are as obliging, so they often just get congested, and less productive, if left to their own devices. They can come up blind if that happens too, especially in pots.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
More formal, large-flowered daffodils (inherited with the house), can't take heavy wind, rain, or frost. The slugs wait until the stems bend down before eating them. Most of our vase daffs are salvaged from damaged flowrs before the slugs have got at them.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Usually the plants get a bit of a head start after winter as the weather [frosts/snow/ice] keeps the numbers down a bit, but we've had two mild winters in a row here, and some plants started into growth sooner because of that, which doesn't help. It's the small slugs that often do the most damage - sneaky little b*ggers.
Just something we have to accept here - you'd spend umpteen hours going out at night and snipping/dispatching them if you wanted to try and keep the numbers down. The early clematis growth is always a problem, but it's how it is. The daffs which have been flowering for a couple of weeks have had some nibbling round the edges of petals which is a pain, although the ones along the little shady, north west facing border are fine - so far, mostly Thalias and some Tresamble. The earliest ones, which are just about finished now, have been fine too, especially one variety. Silver Chimes has had a little bit of nibbling.
Nothing stops them. I always laugh when people suggest sharp grit or shells round plants. They laugh at that here - as they climb the crushed shell rendered walls on the house....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...