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Have i left it too late...

Discussion in 'Other Plants' started by Shaneoak, Oct 26, 2015.

  1. Shaneoak

    Shaneoak Gardener

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    Hi

    I've been so busy with work that i have not had time to plant daffodils, snowdrops, crocus and wood anemone bulbs i brought.
    I'm away again and will only have the first week of November to get them in. I have 100's!
    Is it too late? I'm worried they will come up blind as I've read that most bulbs need to be in by end October (with exception of Tulips)? Thanks
     
  2. WeeTam

    WeeTam Total Gardener

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    Should be fine to plant em soon. I hope so cos i planted some tet a tet last week and some white daffs yesterday.
     
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    • Shaneoak

      Shaneoak Gardener

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      Well, you still have done yours on time.Still a bit worried. If anyone has knowledge in this area please let me know. I'm sure i'm just worrying for no reason
       
    • Kandy

      Kandy Will be glad to see the sun again soon.....

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      Hi Shane and welcome to GC.Ideally the bulbs should be put into the ground more or less as they become available in the shops,one reason why they have them in there early.Ideally September would have been good as most daffodil bulbs need a long growing season to get their roots down in the soil as they are a large bulb but as long as you don't leave it too much longer then they should be fine although they might flower later as they have some catching up to do.

      Blindness in bulbs can often be due to planting the bulbs too deeply or they might be carrying a virus that can have the same effect or they might simply want splitting up if they have got too crowded as each bulb will be competing for the nutrients in the soil.

      Hope this info helps and do let us know how you get on with them:smile:
       
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      You should plant them now. :blue thumb: It's not really too late and you need to bear in mind that if you don't plant them you will need to store them - and that doesn't do them a lot of good. :noidea:
       
    • Fern4

      Fern4 Total Gardener

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      Hi..welcome to GC :sign0016:

      The first week in November is not too far away so just plant them, they'll be ok. I've planted bulbs in November before and they've been fine. They're better off in the ground so get them in, they'll do nothing in a bag. :thumbsup: :)
       
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      • Anthony Rogers

        Anthony Rogers Guest

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        I agree that you still have time to plant them. One thing to remember is that next years flowers are already formed and stored inside the bulb, so they should flower next Spring.
         
      • Anthony Rogers

        Anthony Rogers Guest

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        Hi Kandy,

        Can I just correct you on one thing please, Daffodil/Narcissi grow blind due to being planted too shallow not deep.
         
      • Shaneoak

        Shaneoak Gardener

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        Hey

        Thanks for your input people. I have an extremely manic work schedule, so it's been hard to get any in the ground. There are so many of them lol I would be totally gutted if they didn't flower or i didn't get the time to plant them, as they cost a pretty penny!
        I will wake early and get them in on the 1st of November as apparently it's going to be sunny and dry for a few days:) I'll let you know how it goes.

        P.S do the same rules applied to Daffodil's apply to snowdrops, crocus and wood anemone? I know Tulips are better planted in November, was wondering if the 3 I've mentioned have slight variations.
         
      • Shaneoak

        Shaneoak Gardener

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        Thanks for the clarification. Is that the same for the tiny bulbs like snowdrops and crocus?
         
      • Shaneoak

        Shaneoak Gardener

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        Thank you and cheers for the advice
         
      • Shaneoak

        Shaneoak Gardener

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        UPDATE: Hey- I managed to plant lots of Daffodils, Crocus, Snowdrop, Anemone and Tulips yesterday. God, i was exhausted. Unfortunately, i noticed some of the bulbs had a dusting of blue mold on :( I went ahead and planted them anyway. I was so shattered that i ended up planting some of the Snowdrops too close together and some Daffodils only just below the surface of the soil. I guess these will come up blind:frown:?
        Still have lots more to plant.Racing against the clock with it being past there ideal planting time. I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully they will come out in spring and i can send pics:) Cheers
         
      • ARMANDII

        ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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        Not really, Shane.:snork: Snowdrops like growing in clumps and whenever I plant them "in the green" I do so in clumps of 5 to 10........so planting Snowdrop bulbs close together will be just fine.


        "What is daffodil blindness?
        Newly planted daffodils usually grow and flower well, but in subsequent years flowering may be reduced or fail completely, although leaves are healthy and numerous. Daffodils that come up with foliage but no flowers are referred to as ‘blind’.

        This condition may be due to the growing conditions or pests and diseases. It can be remedied in several ways depending on the cause.

        Symptoms
        The foliage of daffodils emerges each year but no flowers are produced.

        Control
        To help avoid blindness, try the following;

        • Always prepare the site well before planting, alleviated compaction, poor drainage, and adding moderate dressings of general fertiliser
        • Select good quality bulbs
        • If planting daffodils in turf, ensure you select cultivars suitable for naturalising such as 'Peeping Tom', 'Fortune' or 'February Gold'
        • Flowers should be removed or pinched off (deadheaded) as they fade
        • Avoid tidying up the foliage by tying the leaves into a knot; leave them to die down naturally
        • After flowering, leave a period of at least six weeks before leaves are removed
        • In dry conditions after flowering, water thoroughly until the foliage shows signs of dying down naturally
        • Improve dry soil by mulching around the bulbs in early spring with organic matter. Avoid planting bulbs in very dry areas under turf or near trees. A site that is initially suitable may become less so over several years due to encroaching trees and shrubs, making it more dry and shady
        • Where flowering rapidly declines try feeding the bulbs. As the growing points emerge in the spring apply Growmore at a rate of 70g per sq m (2oz per sq yd) sprinkled evenly on the soil surface around the bulbs. After flowering, especially for container-grown bulbs, apply a high potassium liquid feed, such as tomato food at one to two week intervals from when the blooms have faded until the first signs of yellowing of foliage
        • If overcrowded groups of daffodils are not flowering, lift them when the foliage dies back in the summer. Improve the soil with organic matter and a little general purpose fertiliser e.g. Growmore at a rate of 70g per sq m (2oz per sq yd), and then re-plant the bulbs so there is a 5-7.5cm (2-3in) gap between each one. Replant small bulbs in more fertile soil (e.g. a vegetable plot) to encourage bulb build-up
        • Where narcissus bulb fly is suspected, bulbs can be lifted and examined for signs of attackand the presence of larvae. There is no treatment and affected bulbs should be destroyed. As the leaves die down, firming the soil around the stems and leaves, raking to fill in any holes and covering plantings with an insect proof netting, from mid-May until early July, may help discourage the female flies from laying eggs
        • Diseased bulbs should be discarded
        • Cause
        • A number of causes can be to blame for daffodil blindness;

        • Dry situation: In a dry place, or in drought conditions, daffodils may die down prematurely. After flowering, growth should normally continue for several weeks during which period food reserves in the bulb are replenished before the following season's flower buds are formed. If growth stops prematurely the bulb may, due to lack of food reserves, fail to form a flower bud
        • Defoliation: Leaves removed soon after flowering by mowing or when tidying up the garden can lead to blindness. As with dryness it prevents the bulb building up food reserves for the future
        • Knotting: Gardeners often tidy up clumps of daffodils after flowering by drawing the leaves together into a knot. This is not recommended as it reduces their ability to function and may cause or increase the risk of blindness
        • Seeding: Allowing seed capsules to form after flowering means that energy is diverted from the process of bulb rebuilding
        • Nutrition: Good quality and newly purchased bulbs will normally flower well in their first year on any kind of soil, but in poorer light soils performance may rapidly decline without some additional nutrition
        • Planting depth: Shallow planting encourages bulbs to divide, producing lots of bulbs too small to flower
        • Planting time: Bulb performance can rapidly decline if bulbs are planted later than mid-September
        • Overcrowding: After a few years clumps of daffodils may become overcrowded leading to poor flowering
        • Pests: Narcissus bulb fly and narcissus eelworm may damage bulbs leading to poor flowering
        • Diseases: Diseases such as narcissus basal rot or daffodil viruses may cause bulbs to die or decline in vigour and flowering"

        So they're not guaranteed to go "blind" just because you planted them shallow of to close together.
         
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        • Shaneoak

          Shaneoak Gardener

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          Cheers for the info.

          It's been non stop soggy weather for the past week here. It's awful. Not been able to do anything!
          How do you people manage to plant in this type of weather? Or do you not bother?
          I find everything turns to mud.
           
        • ARMANDII

          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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          I garden on 350 to 450 feet of pure sand, Shane, with an old Roman Sand Quarry less than 50 yards from my House!! Although I've vastly improved the soil over the years you can walk out onto the lawn after prolong heavy rain and there's no squelching!!:heehee:
           
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