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Bulbs/daffodils did not bloom
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Question
This year my bed of daffodils did not bloom after at least 4-5 years of successful reblooming. I had plenty of leaves. Are they doomed forever? Should I pull them out or will bulb booster in the fall bring them back next spring. The only thing that changed in the bed was that mulch was put on the bed in late summer--could too much mulch have been the problem?
Conceivably, the mulch you used may have triggered bulb rot; also possibly there were predators in the Soil that found your Daffs and destroyed the blooms.
Your best move now is to lift ONE of the non-blooming Bulbs and take a good look at it.
Is it healthy?
It should be firm and unblemished -- like an Onion or Shallot you get in the supermarket. Slice it open -- there should be nothing in the middle except the basics of the non-forming flower.
Perhaps you will see a stalk headed out of the ground; it may simply be too early for these to bloom. We've only reached April; many Narcissus don't get started until this month. Scalpel, please. Slice and rsvp when you have something to report. Thanks for writing.
L.I.G.
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Long Island Gardener
Expertise
Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.
Experience
Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.
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