Congress Daffodil

Bulbs for Fall Planting:

Plant the bulbs as soon as possible once you have received them. If you cannot plant the bulbs as soon as they have been shipped to you, remove the bulbs from plastic bags and put them on trays with damp peat moss or sawdust in a cool, well-ventilated place until you have a chance to plant them. Do not store them at temperatures below 4°C. Generally all bulbs planted in the fall are hardy and do not need any special protection unless specified.

Planting: 

Select a site that offers full sun or partial shade. Most daffodils tolerate a range of soils but grow best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil that is kept moist during the growing season. Plant bulbs 1-½ to 5 times their own depth. Where winters are severe, make sure there are at least 3 inches of soil covering the bulb. Daffodils will tolerate some crowding, but they prefer to be spaced 3 to 6 inches apart. It may help to sprinkle a little bulb fertilizer in the hole during planting.

Growing: 

Apply a low-nitrogen, high-potassium fertilizer after flowering if bulbs are not performing as desired. Water late-flowering daffodils in dry spring weather (flowers may abort in dry conditions). Deadhead plants as flowers fade and allow leaves to remain for at least 6 weeks. Lift and divide the clumps when flowering becomes sparse or the clumps congested. After daffodils bloom in the spring, allow the plants to grow until they die off. They need time after blooming to store energy in the bulbs for next year’s bloom. To remove the dead plants, either snip them off at the base, or twist the leaves while pulling lightly. Once daffodils and tulips have gone by, add bonemeal to the soil for next year’s blooms.