Daffodiles.....

[Playaxvx]

My nan has daffoldiles planted on her lawn in a border aaround a tree... she planted them there a few years ago but havent bloomed ever again... when she dug them up she said they were rotted... someone told her that there might be a worm there (does that mean a literal worm or is that a term for something else?) she has other plants in the border and they grow back every year...

Any ideas of what is causing this and any way we can get our daffs back for next year!

Thanks xxx

[logman]

well it could be a number of reasons, they can rot if the ground gets too waterlogged over the winter, I remember one year only 1 or 2 crocus came up out of a whole swathe of them in a lawn, where the ground layed wet all winter.

The worm, yes thats another possibility, at one time anything that was long and legless was termed a worm,(not just earth worms, maggots too) in this case it could be the wire worm thats damaged the bulbs and caused them to rot.

Another possible cause is, that after several years the bulbs tend to get deeper under the soil and use up all their energy to get to the surfice and are to exahausted to flower, you can either dig them up in the autumn and replant or start afresh with some new ones.

Cutting them back too soon can also prevent them from flowering, its best to wait for the leaves to wither and go brown before cutting them back.. Hope thats of some use..

[Clanad]

My guess is one of three things. Firstly, if the bulbs were rotted there wouldn't be anything left of them so I would guess they just appeared to be that way. When they are dormant, which is most of the year, the bulbs are awfully brown and black and as they grow year after year they produce more bulbs. Or, I think, perhaps, they weren't planted deeply enough. Daffodils should be planted 6 inches below the surface and 8 doesn't hurt. Or, perhaps the green part of the plant was cut off before dying back. The time (applies to all spring blooming bulbs) after the blooms fade and drop until the stems and leaves turn yellow is very important to the plant. This is the time it is actually storing nutrients for the next winter season. So, you might trying digging them up, seperating the bulbs and replanting or just plant some new ones. They are very hardy and resistant to insects, so, barring something unusual, I would discount "worms"... Best of luck!

[Clanad]

You weren't there when I started logman... great minds and all that!

[logman]

You wernt there when i started either clanad, and i see we agree on some things, but with respect, I think a bulb can be rotten ie soft and soggy and still be visible..Cheers