.. All they need is 8 weeks cool to be sure and we're unlikely to get any warm weather soon!
That's the important thing.
Daffs (and hyacinths) need a period of cold.
I don't know exactly how long they need, or how cold it needs to be. I saw somewhere that daffs need 3 months with temperatures below 10C.
Commercial flower growers actually force daffs by putting the bulbs into cold storage, from July-September, so they can get flowers from November and through to March, when the natural crop begins. There's an interesting and very readable article about commercial daff production in the UK here: http://www.flowerexperts.com/daffodil_facts.asp
Thanks, DiscoDave for your kind words and advice and thanks to the other contributors since then, too. It's great to get such useful advice. I will be cutting and pasting it into a file in my gardening folder! X
Your welcome, I have to honestly say, that this site is great and so are the people that use it. You may tend to find that occasionally an expert might appear to be snapping or asking sharp questions. But in most cases its because they might need more info to help and just word it offly. Alot of people on here have ALOT of experience and will put most of us to shame but also there are alot of newbies here that may not now simple basics and just asking for some friendly help. Stick with us and we will all make England more beautifull than ever..
That's reassuring to know, Discodave. I have some experience - all self-taught/read/experienced through trial and error. I find gardening is one of those areas of life which is bewildering and complex - something you either have to have learned through study or many years of experience to be truly good at it. We try to make the most of our small and awkward garden, and we have an allotment away from home, which we built up to a good level last year and then lost everything we planted last season due to the rain. We got very disheartened and are having to start moreorless from scratch again, this year. We both work full-time and have other commitments so find it hard to do all the things you should do at the time we are supposed to do it. Thanks for your encouragement, though - I will stick with this forum - I certainly have found the GW site to be one of the best, I just get fed-up with the way some people behave on user group forums, it seems to be more about the people than the reason why you want to interact, some times. That's usually the reason why I give up on inter-acting in the end, but I will stick with this and just ignore the personal elements.
What about allium bulbs?? I bought some large ones before all the dreadful weather, so didn't get round to planting them - also it says to plant them 8" down, which will be very difficult in my clay soil. Any ideas? (they are not suitable for planting in pots, apparently).
I have just read that although you may not get flowers this year, you may be aswell to plant them in pots so that they dont rot. They dont like getting waterlogged. I am not an expert on these so cant advise properly, I must say though, I did want some of these in the garden this year so may end up buying ones that are flowering from a garden centre in the spring (alot more expensive).
Rozzy- If the bulbs are still firm & not soft & mouldy, just get them into any old MP compost into a deep pot. Otherwise they wont flower at all this year.
Plastic flower buckets from Morrisons are dirt cheap, need holes drilling but about 8/9 for 99p ish. Ask in the cutflower/plant section.
Then when your soil does dry out you can put them where you want. J.
Sometimes you have to just do it and hope for best. My ground was sooo wet i stuck nearly all bulbs in pots rather than ground, Will plant them up when the foliage is dying back. Still have some cheap ones to put in note to me job for this week!!
The only time I've had big losses with my late planted bulbs was last year when I planted them just before some REALLY cold weather which lasted ages and included a couple of minus 13 or 14 degree nights. Otherwise it hasn't made a lot of difference to performance. Maybe later than they would have been but that's all weather dependent anyway. They flower when they flower.
I thought I posted this earlier but must have forgotten to press the submit button (again).
Posts
That's the important thing.
Daffs (and hyacinths) need a period of cold.
I don't know exactly how long they need, or how cold it needs to be. I saw somewhere that daffs need 3 months with temperatures below 10C.
Commercial flower growers actually force daffs by putting the bulbs into cold storage, from July-September, so they can get flowers from November and through to March, when the natural crop begins. There's an interesting and very readable article about commercial daff production in the UK here: http://www.flowerexperts.com/daffodil_facts.asp
Thanks, DiscoDave for your kind words and advice and thanks to the other contributors since then, too. It's great to get such useful advice. I will be cutting and pasting it into a file in my gardening folder! X
Your welcome, I have to honestly say, that this site is great and so are the people that use it. You may tend to find that occasionally an expert might appear to be snapping or asking sharp questions. But in most cases its because they might need more info to help and just word it offly. Alot of people on here have ALOT of experience and will put most of us to shame but also there are alot of newbies here that may not now simple basics and just asking for some friendly help. Stick with us and we will all make England more beautifull than ever..
That's reassuring to know, Discodave. I have some experience - all self-taught/read/experienced through trial and error. I find gardening is one of those areas of life which is bewildering and complex - something you either have to have learned through study or many years of experience to be truly good at it. We try to make the most of our small and awkward garden, and we have an allotment away from home, which we built up to a good level last year and then lost everything we planted last season due to the rain. We got very disheartened and are having to start moreorless from scratch again, this year. We both work full-time and have other commitments so find it hard to do all the things you should do at the time we are supposed to do it. Thanks for your encouragement, though - I will stick with this forum - I certainly have found the GW site to be one of the best, I just get fed-up with the way some people behave on user group forums, it seems to be more about the people than the reason why you want to interact, some times. That's usually the reason why I give up on inter-acting in the end, but I will stick with this and just ignore the personal elements.
What about allium bulbs?? I bought some large ones before all the dreadful weather, so didn't get round to planting them - also it says to plant them 8" down, which will be very difficult in my clay soil. Any ideas? (they are not suitable for planting in pots, apparently).
I have just read that although you may not get flowers this year, you may be aswell to plant them in pots so that they dont rot. They dont like getting waterlogged. I am not an expert on these so cant advise properly, I must say though, I did want some of these in the garden this year so may end up buying ones that are flowering from a garden centre in the spring (alot more expensive).
Rozzy- If the bulbs are still firm & not soft & mouldy, just get them into any old MP compost into a deep pot. Otherwise they wont flower at all this year.
Plastic flower buckets from Morrisons are dirt cheap, need holes drilling but about 8/9 for 99p ish. Ask in the cutflower/plant section.
Then when your soil does dry out you can put them where you want. J.
According to the RHS the best time to plant Daffs is August and September and November for Tulips
Sometimes you have to just do it and hope for best. My ground was sooo wet i stuck nearly all bulbs in pots rather than ground, Will plant them up when the foliage is dying back. Still have some cheap ones to put in note to me job for this week!!
The only time I've had big losses with my late planted bulbs was last year when I planted them just before some REALLY cold weather which lasted ages and included a couple of minus 13 or 14 degree nights. Otherwise it hasn't made a lot of difference to performance. Maybe later than they would have been but that's all weather dependent anyway. They flower when they flower.
I thought I posted this earlier but must have forgotten to press the submit button (again).
In the sticks near Peterborough