For once I'm not bragging! Our daffodils are up, along with some of the paperwhites, and I thought I'd better ask this while I was thinking of it. This is the year I need to lift,divide, and replant my bulbs. If I lift them right after the foliage dies back, can I store them (and if so, how) or do I need to plant them immediately? It's been a while since I dealt with bulbs, and I've forgotten the little I ever knew. By the time the foliage dies back it's June, and we are in the dry season with hardened, dry earth, even in the flower beds. I'd rather put them back in during the fall rains, but I'll do whatever it takes to keep them happy.
I've dug up bulbs in the spring and re-planted in the fall many times. I just keep the bulbs in a cool, darkish place with the foliage still attached. Make sure they are well ventilated or you might get a problem with mold and rotting. In the fall I remove the brown foliage and re-plant with some bulb booster.
Jon, all we have right now is foliage, but it is about 12" tall. I have clumps scattered throughout the flower beds, so I'll be doing a lot of digging to lift and divide!
My daffodils need snow shovels to get out. April if they'er lucky, May is more like it. I have a large collection of pictures of one daffodil sent each year in February by my sister. A reminder that Las Vegas is warmer than Massachusetts. Dividing Daffodils: dig up the clumps you want to divide, usually the clumps with more greenery than flowers. Separate the bulbs, knock off loose dirt. Spread them out on newspaper for a few days, let them dry so there is no moist dirt on them. I use saved onion bags to store them in a cool dry place till fall. Plant in fall about 5-6 inches apart. Mix in some granular bulb fertilizer. I vary the planting depth depending on the size of the bulb. The big ones usually have flowers the following spring. The smaller ones a year or two later. Jerry
Hi MG-- every time that I have divided, I have done it after flowering and I just planted them again right afterwards. I do not damage the green foliage in the process; I leave it on, as it helps getting the bulbs ready for the following year. I did not read that this is a good or preferred way anywhere...but its the way I do it.
I'm with Sjoerd on this. Just replant after bloom. Fertilize and cull any damaged bulbs-corms when you replant. I too am green with envy!
Thank you all! I'll dig and replant as soon as the blooms fade. That way I'll still be able to find the daffs and paperwhites. Last year I tried to remember where they were while planting some perennials in the fall, and promptly dug up a clump of bulbs. And I'll put a goodly dose of composted manure in the planting holes, too.
I have dug up daffodils after the flowers have begun to dry and planted the daffodil plants which are connected to the bulbs right away.
