How to Divide and Replant Daffodil Bulbs

The bright yellow blooms of daffodils in the spring is something I look forward to all winter long. But to keep them blooming, you need to take care of them. By learning how to divide and replant Daffodil Bulbs your Daffodils will look great! This will increase the flowering in the Spring, create sturdier stems, and more plants in general! Click here for your FREE garden and landscape journal- the first step to gardening success!

Little known fact of gardening- Daffodils eventually need to be replanted. One of the first signs for when you should add this onto your gardening to-do list is when you notice a decrease in the number of blooms in the spring.

Depending on where you live, mid-May to mid-June is the best time to replant your daffodil bulbs. You want to wait until the tops of the plant have started to dry. This gives the plant the best chance of storing energy in it’s bulb for next spring.

Daffodils are great, not only because of their sunny blooms, but they are very prolific bulb producers. You can very easily increase your plantings over the years with little effort. Having an entire planter of Daffodils in the spring always looks great!

So why do you want to put the work into this…?

Benefits of Replanting Daffodil Bulbs

• Increased flowering
• Sturdier stems
• Increased vigor
• Better bulb production allowing to increase your planting areas

Let us show you how it’s done.

Step 1 – Digging

Using a flat point spade dig up the daffodil bulbs. I leave the tops on them at this point, it gives me a reference point to their location so I don’t cut too many of them while digging. You’ll need to dig fairly deep, probably at least 6-8 inches.

Step 2 – Cleaning

Transfer all the bulbs into a bucket or other container after shaking the dirt from them, also remove any tops that are still attached.

Step 3 – Sorting

Sort the daffodil bulbs, I like to separate the largest bulbs to be used first. Throw away any bulbs that were damaged while digging.

Step 4 – Prepare the space

Dig out the area you are planting to a depth of 6 inches. The rule-of-thumb for planting depth is 3 times the size of the bulb. I like to have 4 inches of soil covering the bulb to protect it during our winters.

Step 5 – Planting

Place the daffodil bulbs fat end down in your planting area 3 to 6 inches apart. How close you plant them to each other is entirely up to you. For a more dramatic look plant them closer together. However, this will mean that you need to dig them up more often. If you don’t mind, then go with the 3 inches.

Step 6 – Cover

Cover and lightly tamp the soil around them.

Step 7 – Mulch

Add mulch, 2-3 inches deep.

You may end up with quite a few daffodil bulbs. If you don’t have the time to plant them right away you can store them for a short period of time. Just place them in either a brown paper bag, pantyhose, burlap bag or onion sack and store in a cool, dry, dark place. This will give you 4 – 6 weeks to plant them. If you end up with too many- share the wealth with neighbors or friends!