will blind daffodils flower again

Daffodil blindness sounds like a dramatic problem, but it describes a common issue – lack of blooms. In fact, lack of blooms can be quite dramatic for those who have looked forward to these early spring flowers.

Like many plant issues, there are many potential causes for this problem, from incorrect planting to overcrowding and cutting back at the wrong time. Assess which of these causes is most likely based on your care and the conditions around your plants.

What Causes Blind Daffodils?

The first potential cause begins early on – incorrect planting depth. Daffodils need to be planted quite deep for their size to grow successfully. As a general rule, it is recommended that daffodils are planted around two or even three times their depth. This gives the roots enough space to grow to have the right foundation for flowering.

If daffodil bulbs are planted shallowly, they often prioritize spreading outwards beneath the soil rather than producing more green growth and flowers above the soil. The new bulbs produced will also be quite small due to the smaller root system, meaning they are unlikely to flower for a year or two.

You’ll know this is the likely problem if you have recently planted your daffodil bulbs and they have not yet flowered. However, if your daffodils have flowered in previous years and have now stopped flowering, look out for one of the other causes.

Related Reading: 10 Bulb Planting Tips For Gorgeous Spring Displays

Planting At The Wrong Time

Daffodils, like other spring-blooming bulbs, need to be planted in fall. Although it can be tough to wait so long to see the new growth emerge, this additional time is necessary for the roots to become established, giving the plant the foundation to spring up at springtime.

If you plant your daffodils too late, their natural growing cycle is thrown off. They won’t have enough time to establish strong roots before the soil warms, meaning they won’t have the resources needed to produce flowers.

Soil has a major impact on growth for all plants, so it makes sense that the wrong soil could also negatively impact daffodil flowering.

Daffodils need rich soil packed with nutrients that also drains well enough to prevent waterlogging. If it holds onto too much water, the bulb will rot, preventing flowering or even the production of leaves. If it doesn’t hold on to enough water, the roots will continuously dry out, preventing any possible flowers from popping up.

Soil should be amended with organic materials and any amendments to improve texture if necessary. These amendments also need to be mixed in deep into the soil where the roots will expand to.

For daffodils that have previously flowered profusely and are now underperforming, overcrowding may be the issue.

Daffodils spread naturally beneath the soil, producing large clumps of growth. Lots of leafy growth without flowers typically means these clumps are overcrowded and competing with each other for available nutrients, meaning none of them have exactly what they need to produce blooms.

Unfortunately, your daffodils won’t produce blooms this season. However, they can be lifted and divided at the end of the season. As long as the bulbs are big enough, they should produce blooms the next year when planted in the fall.

Even though they are made to flower, producing blooms is not an easy task. These complex structures take plenty of energy and nutrients to produce. If your daffodils don’t have enough of what they need, you may see some green growth, but they will not be able to flower.

This can also occur if there is an imbalance of nutrients in the soil, particularly excess nitrogen and lack of phosphorus or potassium. Although all three of these macronutrients work together to boost growth, nitrogen is largely responsible for leafy growth while the other two have more of an impact on flowering.

A soil test is the only way to determine whether there is an imbalance or lack of nutrients in the soil. You can fertilize to see if a nutrient boost resolves the issue, but in the case of an imbalance, this may make the problem worse.

At the end of the season, daffodil foliage will begin to die back. Yellowing leaves may look untidy, but it’s important to avoid cutting them back for at least 4 weeks. As these leaves die back, resources are slowly transported back into the bulb for storage over the cooler months. This is what gives the bulbs the energy to produce again the following spring.

If you cut your daffodils back too early, this essential process will be halted. The bulbs won’t have what they need to flower the next year, or even to produce leaves in extreme cases. Wait until the leaves have died back completely before trimming, even if your beds look a little untidy for a while.

Pests are always a threat in the garden, especially when it comes to bulbs. If the bulb structure is damaged at any point during the growing season, flowering will be impacted and the entire bulb may die off.

The major culprits to look out for are bulb fly and bulb mites that can lead to blind daffodils. Other common garden pests may feed on the foliage, but this will likely only impact flowering when infestations become severe.

Daffodil blindness: 5 reasons why your daffodils aren’t flowering anymore | The RHS

FAQ

Can daffodils recover from blindness?

Daffodils that come up with foliage but no flowers are referred to as ‘blind’. This condition may be due to the growing conditions or pests and diseases. It can be remedied in several ways depending on the cause.

How to make blind daffodils bloom again?

Solution: Keep the bulbs well fed – add a granular high potash feed in early March, and liquid feed with Phostrogen, Miracle-Gro or similar liquid fertiliser every 10-14 days after flowering and until the foliage dies down.

How do you get daffodils to bloom again?

• Allow foliage to die naturally:

  After the daffodils have finished blooming, resist the urge to cut the foliage back. The leaves are vital for photosynthesis and storing energy in the bulbs for next year’s bloom. Allow the foliage to yellow and die back naturally, which typically takes 4-6 weeks. 

• Dig and divide overcrowded bulbs:

  If the bulbs are crowded, they may not have enough resources to produce flowers. Dig up the bulbs when the foliage dies back, separate them into individual bulbs, and replant them with at least 6 inches of space between each. 

• Provide adequate sunlight:

  Daffodils need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day to thrive. If they are growing in partial shade, dig them up and replant them in a sunnier location. 

• Fertilize:

  In late fall to early spring, apply a slow-release fertilizer, like 9-9-6, to the bulb beds, according to Southern Living. 

• Check for pests and diseases:

  If you suspect narcissus bulb fly, dig up the bulbs and examine them for signs of attack and larvae. 

• Consider soil conditions:

  If the soil is compacted or poor in nutrients, amend it with compost to improve drainage and provide the bulbs with the necessary nutrients. 

• Proper planting depth:

  Ensure bulbs are planted at least 4 times their height deep (around 10-15cm or 4-6 inches). 

• Avoid tying leaves in knots:

  This practice can prevent the bulbs from storing energy for future blooms, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Will blind daffodils come back?

I read that you can feed with tomato feed, and know that we need to leave the leaves until they die back naturally to allow nutrients back into the bulb for next years flowers, but will ‘blind’ daffodils have a good chance, with improved conditions?. Yes! Don’t give up. They will come back. Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

Are blind Daffs full of flowers?

Have a read here We had a lot of blind daffs that are now full of flowers. They are in the ground and happy now they have plenty of light after felling a few conifers. Mine get tom food and the foliage stays until its turned yellow and withered.

What is daffodil blindness?

Daffodil blindness is the name given to the phenomenon when daffodils come up with foliage but do not flower. The leaves can be healthy and numerous, yet flowers do not form. “Daffodils that grow but fail to bloom because of daffodil blindness might not bloom because of several causes,” says Janet Hickman from the American Daffodil Society.

Why are my daffodils blind?

This is usually the cause of blind daffodils if you just planted the bulbs the previous fall. Bulbs need to be buried at the correct depth to flower. The pressure from the soil above them plays a critical role in creating new blooms and new bulbs. The rule of thumb is that a bulb should be buried two to three times its height.

Why are my daffodils not flowering?

Daffodils can suffer from ‘blindness’. This is where they produce a healthy crop of foliage but fail to flower. There are several reasons why this may happen, including poor soil, overcrowding and shade. You can usually rectify the problem but it can take a couple of years for the bulbs to flower again. Should I discard blind daffodils?

Do daffodils bloom again?

Daffodils bursting into bloom traditionally heralds the start of spring, so it can be disappointing when clumps of daffodils that have previously grown and flowered well begin to decline. However, there are things that can be done to get your bulbs blooming again. What is daffodil blindness?