Yellow daffodils should not be missing in any garden. Because they are among the flowers that herald spring. How to grow and care for them, read here.

Plant daffodils
© VRD / stock.adobe.com

Yellow narcissi (Narcissus) are popularly known as daffodils and count, in addition to crocuses , Who sets the bulbs in the fall in the fall, can look forward to a yellow sea of ​​flowers next spring. What exactly is to be observed when planting daffodils, I explain now step by step.

Plant daffodils - instructions

Daffodils can be planted in the front yard, but also in the pot or in the balcony box. However, I will concentrate on planting outdoors in this guide.

Location and ground

Osterglocken prefer a very sunny location and as moist as possible, also wet and clay-rich soil. The daffodils may even remain here for several years, although they shrink more continuously in their stature height - of about 40 centimeters. Daffodils are a perfect match for rhododendrons , in beds, but also for funerals and in combination with crocuses, snowdrops and hyacinths on any meadow or in the front yard.

Plant daffodils - step by step

Daffodils plant guide
Narcissus bulbs stuck 10 to 15 cm deep in the ground © tanacha / stock.adobe.com

From the end of September / beginning of October of the previous year, daffodils and flower bulbs are planted in the soil .


  1. If you have not done so already in the spring, enrich the soil with compost.
  2. The bulbs of the daffodils are then inserted at a distance of 5 cm into the ground - the pointed end (shoot) points upward.
  3. As a rule of thumb, the planting depth should be about 3 times as deep as the onion is high.
  4. Finally, lightly cover the flower bulbs with soil.
The onions remain in the soil during the winter months until they start to sprout in the spring.

Daffodils - flowering and care


Flowering time

Easter bells bloom from March to April, sometimes even into the first days of May. If it is very dry outside during this time, you must water the daffodils regularly because they have a relatively high moisture requirement.

Use daffodils as cut flowers


Daffodils as a cut flower
Yellow flowers in the vase © Africa Studio / stock.adobe.com

The yellow narcissus is very well suited as a cut flower for the flower vase. If you hang your flower head in the course of the day, then you should again cut the flower lightly and put it overnight as cool as possible.

Fertilize and multiply daffodils

The Osterglocken do not necessarily have to be fertilized in the field. Except in spring, the soil is already prepared for the autumn and enriched with fresh compost . After flowering (starting in April), you can also supply the daffodils with a low-phosphate, quick-release whole fertilizer.

Daffodils can multiply with seeds, which is very expensive. Faster and easier, if you simply divide the bulbs, which form abundant clumps with the years. Pull the tufts out of the ground, shake off the soil a little and divide the smaller onions by hand. This procedure can be helpful whenever the bulbs stop blooming over the years.

Cut daffodils

If the flowers of the daffodils have withered and the leaves have died, you should cut them back completely.

Attention: Daffodils are poisonous, especially the onions. Ingestion may cause symptoms of intoxication such as nausea, vomiting, cramps and paralysis.


Daffodils - worth knowing in a brief overview

yellow daffodils garden
© amoerwald / stock.adobe.com

Until when can you plant daffodils?

Daffodils are usually planted from the end of September / beginning of October. If the weather cooperates and there is no frost in the ground, you can also plant daffodils in November.

Easter bells and daffodils - where is the difference?

There are different types of daffodils, the best known are the white and the yellow daffodils. The latter are also referred to as daffodils.

Are daffodils poisonous?

Unfortunately yes, because daffodils belong to the Amaryllisgewächsen, which in turn contain alkaloids. The entire narcissus is poisonous, but mainly the onion. Contact with the sap may cause skin irritation. If the flower bulb is confused with the onion and consumed, symptoms of intoxication (nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, signs of paralysis) occur.

Can you plant daffodils and tulips together?

We advise against it, because tulips and daffodils prefer very different locations. While the soil for tulips should be rather dry, daffodils like a moist to wet location.

Can you put daffodils and tulips in a vase?

Unfortunately, the tulips do not get so well because the daffodils secrete a secretion that clogs the stems of the tulips (and other cut flowers). But with a trick it works anyway: put daffodils separately in water for 24 hours, then wash the stems and put them to the tulips. Do not cut stems before!

Can you cut back daffodils?

If the flowering time is over and the daffodils do not make a nice picture, you can cut them back. But wait with the complete pruning until the leaves are completely withered.