Expert: Long Island Gardener - 1/15/2007

Question
HELP!  I live in Andover, MA (Zone 7) and planted over 300 daffodils in the fall.  As you may know, this has been an unseasonably warm winter here in the Northeast.  I went outside today and found that some of my daffodil bulbs have poked up and begun foliage.  I am very concerned that these bulbs will not produce in the early spring when they are due.  Is there anything I can do to thwart them from coming up any further or make sure that the coming weeks of cold winter will harm them.  Thank you.  

Answer
Global Warming takes the blame for a lot these days.  But since time began, balmy spikes in the temperature of early winter and late autumn have triggered premature growth in garden everywhere.

That said, it is time to push the panic button, Christine.

Run out and fill some large 50-gallon garbage bags with dry leaves.  You can use the ones you saved for your compost pile.  You do have a compost pile, don't you?  Good - because it's just what the doctor ordered for this problem.

Pile those leaves over your bulbs, mulch them generously with heaps and heaps of leaves.  The idea is to keep them dark and underground.  You want to shield them from any more warm weather and the current cold wave underway.  The dry leaves will insulate them and minimize temperature fluctuations.  If needed, you can cover the leaves with a shovelful of soil to keep them from blowing away.

Occasional freeze-thaw is not life threatening for Narcissus and other spring bulbs.  Moisture is probably the major threat, which you know because no one but a green-thumbed Daffodil-lover would plant that many of one species.

Come spring, remove the leaves -- VERY carefully.  

As a matter of fact, you ought to be part of the American Daffodil Society Daffnet - a forum of scientists and botanical professionals who chat about Narcissus.

Next year, plant your spring bulbs nice and deep.  That way you won't look out the window one fine warm day and see hundreds of overoptimistic Narcissus ready to explode in a riot of white and yellow 2-3 months early.  Figure what you did this year - and plant 3 inches deeper next time.  Winter weather is always going to be full of surprises.  This plus death and taxes is guaranteed.