Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Blind Daffs

Collapse

X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Blind Daffs

    Hi,
    Can anyone tell me what to do about 'blind' daffs. I have had several clumps this year which have only produced leaves. Is it worth being patient for next year, or should I remove them and replant in the Autumn?
    Thanks
    Julia

  • #2
    You can either lift them, dry them and store them in a cool dark place until the autumn or lift them and replant so that the top of the bulb is at least 4" deep, but giving them some space between bulbs.

    It happens to me a lot so now I put quite a few bulbs in a 10 inch pot and plunge the pot into the ground when the flowers are finished I lift the pots and put them out of the way until the foliage dies down and then replant in the autumn. This gets around having all of the leaves in the way of your spring and summer planting. Every second year I empty the pot, renew the planting medium replant the biggest bulbs and put the smaller "baby bulbs" into a nursery bed until they have bulked up.

    Comment


    • #3
      If you feed them like mad now and make sure you leave the leaves on for 6 weeks after flowering they should come back next year.
      As piglet says- they could be overcrowded rather than exhausted.
      If they fail again then bin them ( or plant them on a roadside in a rural area).
      Last edited by Nicos; 26-04-2007, 08:36 AM.
      "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

      Location....Normandy France

      Comment


      • #4
        Are they in full sun? Bulbs like this need a period of baking in the summer heat to cause the formation of flower buds. Also don't clear the leaves off too early, wait for them to die down naturally (about 10 weeks after flowering - so end of June aroung here) The plant needs the leaves to produce its energy stores for next year and will not form flower buds if there is insufficient energy stored.
        The weeks and the years are fine. It's the days I can't cope with!

        Comment


        • #5
          I've usually found the problem to be overcrowing. (Or they were too shallow in the first place) DO as PW suggests and replant with a bit of a gap between the bulbs - they are probably now squashed against one another.

          Incidentally, I wouldn't make a plea for people not to plant anything on a rural roadside Nicos. Some of us take part in regular botanical surveys and 'gardening' of the countryside b***ers up the results no end! Village verges (where people are already doing it) are fair game.

          Flum
          Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

          www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

          Comment


          • #6
            Flum,

            If you do these surveys - who should I contact as I have orchids growing in my lawn?

            Haven't a foggiest exactly which one but I think Common Spotted as the leaves are spotted, and yes I am on chalk upland here. Northern edge of the South Downs to be precise.
            The weeks and the years are fine. It's the days I can't cope with!

            Comment


            • #7
              The Baskets that you get for planting in ponds are good as well if you don't have any pots.
              ntg
              Never be afraid to try something new.
              Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
              A large group of professionals built the Titanic
              ==================================================

              Comment


              • #8
                You will have a local BSBI recorder TPeers, (Botanical Society of the British Isles). Mr Flum is our region's recorder. They won't do anything with your orchids other than record where they are - I hope you are cherishing them! I could find out your local recorder if you like. Alternatively you could have a look on their website - www.bsbi.org.uk and see if there's any info there.
                Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

                www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks for all the advice. let's hope next years show is better.
                  Cheers
                  Julia

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    How long have they been in the beds, Julia? This is important, as new plantings shouldn't be blind. Usual causes are overcrowding (which occurs after several years in the same spot if you don't dig them up, split the clumps and replant), cutting the leaves off or tying them into knots as soon as they've finished flowering (the bulbs need at least six weeks of leaf growth to feed them up for the next year). Also, when you divide and replant, make sure you plant them deep enough.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi Rustylady, they've been in four years counting this year. I didn't think they were over crowded, but after they've died back I'm going to lift them and dry them off. I'll replant it the autumn, but I'm going to put some in pots and bury them, as has been suggested. It's interesting though, from the same batch which I bought, I also planted up some tubs, along with other plants and they have been fine, giving me a lovely show. It's only the ones in the garden which have proved a problem and then not all of them.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Flummery View Post
                        You will have a local BSBI recorder TPeers, (Botanical Society of the British Isles). Mr Flum is our region's recorder. They won't do anything with your orchids other than record where they are - I hope you are cherishing them! I could find out your local recorder if you like. Alternatively you could have a look on their website - www.bsbi.org.uk and see if there's any info there.

                        Tried to log the orchid in but they want a grid reference - I have no ideas how to get one and the OH is being nasty and rude so no help there
                        Last edited by TPeers; 29-04-2007, 10:00 PM.
                        The weeks and the years are fine. It's the days I can't cope with!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          You need a big scale map - one with your house on. Maybe your local library can help.
                          Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

                          www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Flummery View Post
                            You need a big scale map - one with your house on. Maybe your local library can help.
                            Ok! Thanks Flummery, a trip to the library is now required!

                            Terry
                            The weeks and the years are fine. It's the days I can't cope with!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Feed and water them, Julia, while the leaves are dying down which will help to build up the bulbs before you lift them. Did it with mine and the first year after replanting they were nothing to write home about but this year I had a smashing show.

                              Best of luck
                              Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poet

                              Comment

                              Latest Topics

                              Collapse

                              Recent Blog Posts

                              Collapse
                              Working...
                              X