Daffodils

Q. I have a lot of daffodils that have just finished blooming. I have just put bone meal on the beds and wonder when is the best time to transfer them to another spot in the flower bed. Look forward to your tips on gardening.

A. Now is the best time to move them. If they are all finished blooming and you have cut off the flower stems but left all green foliage spade them up disturbing the roots as little as possible. Even dig them up in clumps if
that is easier.

Move them into their new bed but make sure you have prepared it for them. Loosen and enrich the soil adding humus compost leaf mold or peat moss. Maintain the same soil level as before. Press them in firmly but do not compact the soil. Give them plenty of space on all sides. Water immediately.

Maintain a good watering and light feeding program throughout the summer. The bulbs need the nourishment to swell and produce next season's flowers.

This fall you may want to consider planting some new bulbs along with your current ones. I like freshening the beds and introducing some of the new colorations foliage and displays that are introduced each year!

Q. I bought a bag of interior blooming miniature daffs from Costco. Even though there were no instructions on the back I was sure that I would get some good instructions from you. Hope you can shed some light on this.

A. These are two faves of mine for mini interior daffs:

Tete-a-tete
A miniature daffodil grows in Zones 3 to 8.
Only grows to 6 inches! These are lovely in groups!

Rip Van Winkle
An heirloom variety. Love the name! Easy to grow. 6 to 8 inches tall. Bright sunny yellow.

Plant them in groups of 6-8 in terra cotta pots of 8-10" in diameter [pots shorter in depth work the best called pan azalea or bulb pots]. They do not grow as well in smaller pots I find. Buy a good light organic potting mix with some perlite mixed in. Place a broken shard of a pot over the bottom drainage holes with side openings so that water may drain out but not the soil.

Fill half way up with mix. Place the bulbs 3-5" apart equally over the soil surface. Press down slightly.

Cover the bulbs with at least 4" of the same potting mix. Water well in a sink so that excess will drain away.

Place in a saucer [you may fill with pebbles if you like] and grow in a brightly lit window morning sun the best avoid one with an overhang and conditions are shaded.

Water well when the soil feels dry one inch deep. Make sure that water drains out the bottom. Do not allow pot to sit in water over 1/2 hour.

When the first bud tips appear give a feeding of 20-20-20 one tablespoon per gallon water. Keep feeding them once every two weeks.

Turn the pot two times a week so that all sides get equal sunlight. Do not grow in a cold or hot draft or up against a window which is cold in the winter. Place back about a foot for protection.

You should see flower buds appearing about 4-6 weeks after vegetative growth.