Daffodil bulbs planting question

[Leatrice_Brown_2125]

Last fall I was given a bag of Daffodil bulbs. Last fall I also had major surgery so I never got the bulbs in the ground. They are still sitting in my garage and a few of them are starting to sprout I don't want to loose them but I am not sure what to do. Should I go ahead and plant them in the ground where I had planned to put them or is there some way to store them until next fall?

I live in California in the foothills known as the gold country at the

3,000 foot level. My hardiness zone is an 8 and the temperatures around here at this time are in the mid 60's.

Thanks in Advance, Lee

[Mahatma Kote]

Plant them now.

[Jangchub]

and make sure you plant them six inches deep...in your zone, they are marginally good to plant because the ground doesn't really freeze for the length of time necessary for daffs.

[mleblanca]

Lee Go on and plant them now. Do plant them deep, but it's really not necessary to have the ground freeze for good blooms. Have you ever been to Daffodil Hill? It's off hwy 49 near Sutter Creek and Jackson, in Amador County. Just over 3000 ft. Most beautiful display of Daffs you can imagine!

I have a great daffodil display and the ground never freezes here in the Valley. I dug up some last fall, had way too many, so I just tossed them on the compost. They all bloomed great this spring! Emilie NorCal

[Jangchub]

The ground doesn't have to freeze, but most daffs need a certain amount of chill hours below the temperature of 45 degrees in order to form a flower. The exception, but not guarantee are the 'King Alfreds' which are the only ones I've seen here in my zone 8a bloom reliably. That's why planting them deeply helps because the deeper, the cooler the soil.

[mleblanca]

V. I am in zone 9 and we seem to get plenty of chilling hours. Mostly temps in the 30F range. One or two nights this winter of 27 and 29.

These are the daffodils that do well here. Not all are the large cup type mostly thought of as being "daffodils" Some are miniatures which are really nice.

Earliest first: King Alfred Golden Trumpet China Lily Earlicheer Soleil d'or Geranium Mount Hood Jet Fire Thalia Hawera Minnow Tahiti and the last of them just blooming Double Cheerfulness

Emilie

[Jangchub]

Thanks, Em! I love bulbs in spring having grown up in Brooklyn and on Long Island. I miss my daffs. I have not had any luck with them here. Maybe it just gets too hot during the summer? You're in zone

9, but what are the summers like? We have blazing sun hot in the 100s for almost three months with very little, if any rain.

Are any of your listed daffs salmon/white trumpets?

v

[mleblanca]

V It could be the heat; we are also hot, but usually only a couple of weeks at a time over 100. Most of the other weeks it' s "only" in the 90s! We get no rain in the summer.

Be sure that you let the foliage ripen and start to turn yellow before you remove it. Some of mine are in places where I water, and some are in places that are completely dry all summer.So I don't think that is it. They do seem to want good drainage in the winter. Our soil is a silty loam, that drains very well. I mulch everything all summer which does help to keep the soil cool. and cuts down on having to water too often

No they aren't, I do have one that is the opposite ( white w/ salmon trumpet) not sure of the name, maybe Roseworthy?

Emilie

[Jangchub]

Mine didn't come up this year. I think I'll dig around in there and see how deep they are. Because of the heat, the organic matter used to build beds declines rapidly and maybe they are in the shallows. Not even so much as a tiny green stalk this year.

And yes, I said it backward. White with salmon trumpets are the ones I like. I only see 'King Alfreds' around here reliably coming back.

It's not like I don't have a zilllion other plants!