Expert: Kenneth Joergensen - 2/7/2006

Question
I live in Boston, MA. I planted bulbs in September for the first time--daffodils to be specific. Now it's February and I see little green buds popping up all over our new garden. We still have a mean New England winter ahead of us, I'm sure, and now I'm worried that the bulbs will get frozen out and die. We have had an unseasonably warm winter thus far, so I'm wondering if the bulbs were tricked into coming up prematurely. Also what do I do now? Add mulch to insulate the bulbs? Or resign myself to having a barren garden in the spring? Thank you so much for your help. Sincerely yours, the Rookie Gardener

Answer
Don't worry about daffodils. They are very hardy and can take substantial frost. In fact, it is not uncommon to see them peak through layers of snow. The time to be concerned is after the foliage has grown about a foot long and flower buds have established. A hard freeze can produce what they call "bud blast" but it seldoms happens in Boston. This is more a concern in Southern parts of USA.

If you get snow, this would actually help insulate the bulbs (not to keep them warm, but to keep them consistently cold) and so more winter weather is not bad.

I would not recommend that you mulch now. Early spring bulb appearence is normal in warm winters and I don't think you will have a problem. These bulbs usually are extremely hardy and will do their greatest effort to bloom.

Don't worry.