When is the best time to split daffs ?
Question:they have lost there flowers but still healthy leaves. i dont wont to have to dig up the whole bed looking for them!
Answers:
Perennials that grow from bulbs, tubers or corms are generally easy to divide. Division is a great way to create more plants or to rejuvenate those with few blooms due to overcrowding. Bulbs can be divided after flowering when the leaves start to turn yellow. Dividing while the leaves are still attached makes it easier to find the bulbs and to avoid damaging them while digging.
To divide daffodils, dig all the way around the edge of a clump. Slide your shovel or hand tool under the clump, being careful not to wound the bulb. After the clump has been lifted out of the ground, hold the leaves and gently shake the dirt off. Gently snap or pull the bulbs apart. Throw away any that are damaged or diseased.
Replant your daffodils as soon as possible. Plant the bulbs individually, the same depth as before. Do not cut off the leaves as they are producing food for the winter and for next year's bloom; they will continue to turn yellow and fall off in a few weeks.
Daffodils, like many other bulbs, only produce leaves once a year to make "food" which is stored in the bulb for next years blooms. The best time to dig is after the leaves have died down. The easiest way to find them is to allow the leaves to die back most of the way but are still just a little greenish on the bottom.
Cut off all the dead flowers at the base, leaving the leaves intact. Tie the leaves in a clump with raffia or string and wait until they turn brown in a month to 6 weeks. During this time the leaves are feeding the bulb to provide next year's growth. When the leaves start to go brown and dry, you can either cut them off or dig the plants up if you want to move them. If you dig them up, either replant in a new location immediately or, if you wish to store them, store the bulbs upside down (after cutting off the dead leaves) for a couple of weeks to dry. Then replant them in the autumn.
when they have flowered
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