Daffodils are a popular spring-blooming bulb, and they are easy to grow in the garden. Here’s how to plant them for a long-lasting display.
Phoebe Cornish Senior Lifestyle Reporter
13:31, 25 Sep 2025
Gardeners can make daffodils flower all Spring by doing 1 thing in October(Image: Connect Images via Getty Images)
Flowering bulbs are a joy to behold in the garden during their respective blooming seasons, and when spring rolls around, daffodils are often the top pick. Their vibrant, cheerful blossoms are robust, dependable, and ideal for borders, lawns, and pots.
The planting season spans from September to November, making now the perfect time to get those bulbs into the ground while the soil retains warmth, before the onset of cooler, damper weather.
However, Eflorist’s flower expert, David Denyer, who boasts over 35 years of experience, cautions against simply planting all your daffodils at once. He recommends the “lasagne” planting method, which is particularly effective for extending your display over several weeks.
By layering bulbs at varying depths and mixing early, mid, and late-flowering daffodils, you can savour successive waves of colour rather than a single burst.
Stable temperatures are crucial when planning gardening tasks like bulb planting, but it’s also important to complete this task before the weather becomes excessively wet. This allows the bulbs to develop strong roots, leading to healthy growth and beautiful spring flowers, reports the Express.
“If you wait until late winter, your bulbs may not establish properly, which can result in small or missing blooms,” David cautioned.
Lasagne planting is best done in containers with well draining soil(Image: Getty)
Deciding where to plant bulbs is straightforward, as they require a simple combination of sun and shade. A sunny or lightly shaded spot with well-draining soil is recommended, but if you’re dealing with heavy clay soil, you can add grit.
Alternatively, David recommends positioning your bulbs in raised beds and containers to avoid waterlogging.
In sandy conditions, incorporate some compost to assist the soil in retaining water.
How to plant spring bulbs
Spacing and depth are crucial for thriving bulbs.
A standard guideline is to position them approximately three times their own depth, typically 10cm to 15cm.
Leave seven to 10cm gaps between each bulb and position them with the pointed end upwards, as this is where the new growth will appear.
For layered planting, the initial compost layer should be substantial enough to permit adequate root development for the bottom tier of bulbs.
Based on your container size, fill it with roughly a quarter to a third of its volume.
Bear in mind that all bulbs will send roots downwards, so this layer will act as a base for their development.
David warned: “If your bulbs are planted too shallowly, they can become unstable and are more likely to topple once they flower.”
To cultivate daffodils in continuous succession, you’ll need to arrange the bulbs in layers.
Daffodils require little maintenance once planted(Image: Tatiana Sviridova via Getty Images)
This technique is straightforward:
Prepare the potAdd the first layer of compostAdd the first layer of late spring bulbs, then add some compostAdd the middle layer of mid-season bulbs, then add more compostAdd the early spring bulbs, then add compost
Always provide bulbs with a good soaking to help the earth settle around them and promote root development once positioned.
Following this, they can typically be left undisturbed throughout winter, as natural rainfall should supply sufficient moisture.
Bulbs need minimal ongoing attention as they already hold all the nutrients required to bloom, so feeding them at planting isn’t necessary. David advised: “Just make sure the soil stays free-draining over winter, and if you’re using a container, keep an eye on it so it doesn’t become waterlogged.”
Gardeners need to be vigilant of bulb-digging pests such as squirrels, which have a tendency to unearth young bulbs. A deterrent can be created by placing a barrier of chicken wire or hardware cloth over the soil surface post-planting, securing it to the edges of the pot.
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