Storage of daffodils

lizhanley1969

I have daffodils in pots and looking to store them in their pots in compost once they die back. Do I still need to water/feed them once they have died back so as to bloom again next year? I don't want to dig them up but just store them in pots till next year. How do I look after them until then? I would like to store the pots under my veg trug until next year so as to be out of sight. Thank you 

Fairygirl

You can give them a liquid feed as they die back which will give them a boost, as compost doesn't have enough nutrients for long term use. The food will help the bulbs bulk up for next year. 
It's also a good idea to remove and replace a few inches of the compost in late winter or so to help counteract that. If they're going to be in pots long term, you might want to repot them completely after they've finished, or through the summer, and use a soil based compost to give them more oomph. 

lizhanley1969

Fairygirl said:

You can give them a liquid feed as they die back which will give them a boost, as compost doesn't have enough nutrients for long term use. The food will help the bulbs bulk up for next year. 
It's also a good idea to remove and replace a few inches of the compost in late winter or so to help counteract that. If they're going to be in pots long term, you might want to repot them completely after they've finished, or through the summer, and use a soil based compost to give them more oomph. 

Thank you for this. Each year I do swap a few inches off each pot. Is it any liquid feed? Do they still need watering whilst dormant? 

Palustris

Once they have died down, they do not need any watering. They have evolved to sit out the hot dry Summer months of Iberia.

Fairygirl

I use seaweed or a tomato food. Whichever I have to hand at the time. 

As @Palustris says - no need to do anything else to them once they've flowered and finished. 

Dovefromabove

I agree with the above ... however as most daffodils originated in damp meadows I usually give mine a really good soaking just after they’ve flowered and before they die down. You don’t want them to dry out while the bulb should be plumping up for next year. 

lizhanley1969

Dovefromabove said:

I agree with the above ... however as most daffodils’ originated in damp meadows I usually give mine a really good soaking just after they’ve flowered and before they die down. You don’t want them to dry out while the bulb should be plumping up for next year.


thank you

Dirty Harry

Realistically speaking, are daffs not essentially tough enough that you could just leave them be with maybe an odd water?

Obelixx

Some are.  Some aren't, but they all need enough feeding and watering during their growing, flowering and dying down phases to build up the bulb and make next year's flower and food store.

As @Fairygirl says, planting media/composts only have enough fertiliser for 90 days so need re-potting or topping up each year a well as a booster feed and the bulbs will prefer a soil based, John Innes type compost than multi purpose.  As @Palustris says, many narcissus originate in Spain and are designed to withstand periods of drought so it's fine to tuck pots away in a quiet corner out of the way while they are dormant.  Some prefer a bit more moisture.
 

Fairygirl

Some daffs are less tolerant of excess moisture than others, so it can depend on the varieties, and the climate/conditions too. 
I often lose a few to rotting in borders, but the potted ones usually fare better, especially if tucked in against a wall over autumn/winter. Easier to get a lighter mix in the pots too