Ultimate Guide to Transplanting Daffodils

Daffodil is a Spring blooming plant widely known for its astonishing yellowish-white petals and yellow cup at the center.

Indeed, if you want the Daffodil flowers to get bigger and more beautiful, then transplantation can help you.

If you have a knack for Daffodils, keep reading to learn about transplanting them!

When to Transplant Daffodils?

Gardeners prefer transplanting Daffodils in late spring to early summer when the plant is dormant, and they do this by uprooting their bulbs.

But, they use winter to store the bulbs in a mesh bag to transplant them in the ideal season.

Moreover, late spring to early summer is appropriate because the aboveground foliage fades from yellow to brown during this time.

Hence, you can move the bulbs without worrying about hurting the foliage. You can even prune them if you like.

Meanwhile, leaving the foliage until they turn completely brown is a good idea as it helps the plant store the energy for next year’s blooms.

However, you do not need to wait for the leaves to turn brown before transplanting Daffodils.

You can transplant Daffodils any time of the year, but it’s not always true for all varieties.

You can witness the following benefits when transplanting Daffodils at the right time! 

• Transplanting prevents overcrowding of your Daffodils.
• It helps to increase the bloom size and number.
• It also allows the plant to keep a constant flowering frequency.
• Transplanting shall give a headstart to early flowering.

How to Divide and Transplant Daffodils?

Transplanting Daffodils is one of the easiest gardening experiences.

The plant prepares the bulb; all you must do is uproot and transplant.

However, depending on the plant’s condition, you determine what matters the most.

Before dividing and transplanting, look for the spent blooms and foliage. If they are dry, go transplant without any worry!

You can also transplant them if they are still green and bearing flowers.

A shovel, Trowel, Mesh Bags, Soil pH meter, Isopropyl Alcohol, Perlite, and Soil Thermometer are necessary.

Steps to Divide Daffodil Bulbs

Follow these easy steps to uproot and divide the bulbs.

• Take a shovel and dig in a circle around the plant a few inches away from the bulbs. Be careful not to wound the bulbs during this process.
• Pick up the plant and shake off the excess soil.
• Twist and pull the clumps by giving a gentle force with your hands.
• Check for damaged or diseased roots. Remove them immediately from the bunch.

Now, you have two choices; use the bulbs to transplant immediately or preserve the bulbs to transplant in the fall.

If you are going for the latter, dry the bulbs by placing them flat in newspapers for 7 to 10 days and remove the top leaves once they are brown or crisp.

Afterward, you can store them in marked mesh bags in a cool, dry, ventilated area.

However, if you don’t want to risk your harvest, transplant them immediately into the soil.

Steps to Transplanting Daffodils

• If you are transplanting in pots, use a 1-gallon or 2-gallon pot, depending on the bulb size.
• Fill the pots with 1 part perlite and 3 parts potting mix.
• Before filling the pots with the soil, sprinkle a pinch of 0-10-10 NPK fertilizer over some compost at the base.
• Dig a hole using a trowel that must be at least three times deep than the bulb’s width.
• Plant 1 medium-sized bulb per 1-gallon pot. You can also plant 3 to 4 medium-sized bulbs per 2-gallon pot.
• Keep a minimum of 3 inches distance between the bulbs.
• Place the bulb with the foliage part pointing up and cover it with loose soil.
• Keep the pots in the region that receives sunlight and watch out for new growth.

Additionally, if the soil is not draining or loamy, mix the soil up to 4 to 6 inches deep with sand or perlite and transplant.

Grow Daffodil bulbs indoors under artificial fluorescent lights for 12 hours until foliage emerges. Also, provide an additional 12 hours of darkness while growing Daffodils indoors. 

If you want a quick follow-up about transplanting, check the video below!

Tips for Transplanting Daffodils 

Consider the following tips if you want to succeed in transplanting Daffodils.

• Use sterilized tools to harvest and transplant the bulbs.
• Brush off any attached soil particles from the bulbs if you plan to store them.
• Hang bulbs in a mesh bag above the ground, and place a running table fan on the side.
• If you are replanting the bulbs again in the fall from those stored, discard the soft bulbs.
• If the Daffodils are dead somehow after transplant, change the potting mix to cut off the source of danger.

Caring for Daffodils after Transplanting

Care for your Daffodils after transplanting by granting them all the primary care requirements.

• Place the potted bulbs or plant the Daffodil bulbs in an area that receives at least 6 hours of bright sunlight.
• Use well-draining and fertile soil with optimum pH levels between 6 and 7.
• Provide the bulbs with 0.016 liters of water per week when they develop foliage and blooms. Keep watering for three weeks even after the bloom fades and stops during mid to late spring.

• Maintain the soil temperature around 12°C to 21°C up to a depth of 6 inches to promote the growth of the bulbs.
• Sustain a relative humidity of around 40% to 50% to promote the growth of the bulbs.
• Cut back the Daffodils once a year in early spring when the leaves have turned yellow.
• Repot Daffodils once a year from late spring to early summer.
• Use balanced 20-20-20 NPK liquid fertilizer at the start of the growing season and 0-10-10 NPK liquid fertilizer after the transplant.
• Keep the bulb mites and flies away from the Daffodil bulbs by spraying insecticidal soap whenever the infestation is seen.