Daffodil Optician Required

[rutineli]

Some years ago I planted a couple of thousand daffodil bulbs amongst the trees and beyond at the end of our garden.
We have had years of magnificent blooms and the coverage seems to have spread into areas beyond the original planting. However , some bulbs now come up "blind" every year and no longer probuce flowers at all even though others of the same planting continue to flower.
Do Daffodils spread without any specific attention and why do some of them go blind while others do not? Is there anything to be done to prevent the blindness or restore them to full flowering ??
Can you buy specs for Daffs and if so where??? rutineli

[horselady]

When the flowers die off each year, you should just leave them to finish off as they are. If you cut them or tie them, they will very likely be "blind" from then onwards.

I'm sure there are other reasons but that's the one I've proved time and again to my cost, just because I think they look untidy once they are finishing and can't resist tying the leaves up!

[mormess]

I think tying them up is okay but my mum always told me to leave the leaves on until they're completely brown as the bulbs apparently reabsorb the energy for next year.

I think most bulbs spread though and you may be able to lift and divide them (after they're brown!) although an expert should verify this.

[Hawkwalk]

often blindness will be a result of an infection inside the bulb. This can either be a disease or a pest that gets in and destroys the flowering part of the bulb.

Also bulbs wont go on forever so if you planted many years ago and have done nothing with them then eventually they will die out.

As for daffs spreading, yes they will but not far from the origional bulb. They will produce smaller bulbs from the mother bulb and split to produce more but they will not travel far on their own.

[rutineli]

Many thanks for all of your kindness which is both useful and appreciated. rutineli