Expert: Long Island Gardener - 4/13/2007

Question
I was given daffodils for Easter...The blooms have wilted...What do I do now?....I want to replant them for next year...I live in the Arizona desert...86403..Zone 8, I think...Can I store them or put them in the ground now?  Will they survive our very hot summer (Lake Havasu City) if I plant them outside?  

Answer
First I am assuming these Daffodils were not stems and flowers only?  They included the Bulb?  Sorry if this sounds obvious but I must confirm.  It makes a world of difference.

Assuming you do have those bulbs attached to the spent flowers, we are not out of the woods yet.  There are a LOT of different Daffodils, and they do not all grow in Arizona.

Some of the best daffodils for Zone 8 -- a warm zone for this genus -- are those belonging to the group called 'Tazettas'.  They are beautiful, often beautifully fragrant flowers that bloom in tight clusters of tiny blooms at the end of a single stem.

You can see more about Daffodils at the American Daffodil Society website (http://daffodilusa.org/).  This is what they have to say about growing Daffodils in Zone 8:  'Daffodils can also be grown throughout the South with the exception of parts of Florida which are free of frost.  A cold treatment—natural or induced—is needed for flower bud initiation.'

So Zone 8 is one of those maybe/maybe not areas.  Certainly worth a shot -- I personally think the odds are in your favor because you are not gardening in Zone 9 or 10 -- Gardenia and Jasmine country.

The heat is not the problem during the summer.  Many of these hybrids were descended from Daffodils that bake during the summer months in the hot Mediterranean climate.  More critical is the amount of moisture they get.  These should be bone dry and get through the summer much better if they are not touched.  That's why people 'lift' them in the summer, and store them dry and cool.

It is certainly worth trying.  How can you resist?

Let me know how it goes.  Any questions, I'm here.