Growing Triandrus Daffodils
Grow these daffodils in full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil. They tolerate shade and heavy, damp soil better than other daffodils do. Improve poorly drained soil before planting the bulbs, or plant your daffodils in raised beds where you control the soil mixture. Daffodils grow best when surrounded by dry soil in summer, so skip the irrigated landscape beds. Aim for a planting spot that receives at least 6 hours of sun a day—which may include the ground beneath the canopy of deciduous trees. Daffodil growth is nearly completed before deciduous trees leaf out in spring, which makes planting under the canopy of such trees possible. Bulbs planted under trees may require additional watering as tree roots can rob soil of moisture. Plant daffodils in fall after the soil has cooled slightly but before cold weather sets in and the soil freezes. Plant daffodils so the base of the bulb is 6 to 8 inches below the soil surface (shoot for two to three times as deep as the bulb is long). Space individual bulbs 6 to 12 inches apart. Make quick work of planting drifts of bulbs by digging a large trench and scattering several bulbs in the planting hole. Cover newly planted bulbs with a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch to prevent weeds and keep soil temperature uniform. When daffodils finish flowering, the leaves go to work producing food and flowers for the following year. Although it is tempting to snip away daffodil foliage as it yellows, allow it to stand for about eight weeks after the plant blooms. At that point, pull up the loose and withered foliage and toss it in the compost pile.
