The cheerful, yellow cups of the common daffodil (Narcissus spp.) are harbingers of spring. Hardy from U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10, daffodil bulbs can stay in place after they flower in most locations for years of bloom. Lifting and storing the bulbs may be necessary to avoid rot when the daffodils are planted in low-lying areas where summers are wet or where water-loving plants grow in the summer.
Dig the bulbs with a shovel after flowers have died back and leaves are yellow and wilted. Daffodils are usually planted 7 to 8 inches deep. Dig several inches away from the foliage clump and about 1 foot deep to avoid damaging the bulbs.
Brush off the soil and dispose of any mushy or discolored bulbs in the compost pile.
Lay the bulbs out in a single layer in a protected area and let them air-dry for about a week.
Fill the bottom of a cardboard box or a planting flat with a shallow layer of vermiculite or milled sphagnum moss.
Place the bulbs inside so they are not touching and top with more vermiculite or moss. Create additional layers in a cardboard box or in additional flats.
Store the box or stack the flats in a cool, dry area where the temperature stays below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures above 70 F can harm the bud inside the bulb.
Things You Will Need
- Cardboard box or plant flats
- Vermiculite or sphagnum moss
- Replant the bulbs in the late fall in a sunny area with well-drained soil.
- Keep bulbs out of reach of pets. When ingested, daffodil bulbs are toxic to dogs and cats.
- University of Florida Extension: Narcissus Spp., Daffodil, Narcissus
- University of California Extension Napa County Master Gardeners: Flowering Bulbs -- Basic Care
- Oregon State University Extension: What to Do With Your Withered, Finished Hardy Spring Bulbs
- Northern California Daffodil Society: Guidelines to Growing Beautiful Daffodils in Your Garden
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Daffodil
- NA/Photos.com/Getty Images