We all long for spring to be in full swing, with its longer days and warmer temps. With it comes the anticipation of the marvelous spring flowers like daffodils.
Sometimes we can be left wondering why our daffodils aren’t producing any flowers. They’re usually so reliable.
So what has happened?
Daffodil blindness is a condition that causes daffodils to fail to flower.
Here we take a look at the disorder and what steps can be taken to make sure the spring garden has those all-important daffodil blooms.
Several factors can cause daffodils blindness, from environmental, to disease and pest infestations, there are things to be aware of to avoid flower-less plants.
Daffodil Blindness Causes
Environmental Factors
Daffodil blindness disorder is mainly due to competition for resources and not enough energy stores in the plant. Environmental factors play a huge part in how they perform in the garden, orchard, homestead, and farm.
1. Overcrowding
When daffodil bulbs are planted too closely together or have not been divided regularly, they can become overcrowded.
Compact growing conditions mean competition for nutrients and space, which can result in reduced flower numbers or none at all.
Many of us grew up with the notion that once you plant daffodil bulbs you can just leave them to do what they do and that you are guaranteed flowers every year without lifting a finger. But you need to think them out now and then to keep them healthy.
Always space your bulbs appropriately and thin them out every few years.
2. Lack of Sunlight
Lack of sunlight is one of the most common reasons for daffodil blindness.
People often picture daffodils as part of an English-style woodland garden, which can give the incorrect impression that daffodils can be grown in some shade.
Look closely, though, and you’ll realize most of the daffodils are in the spaces where there’s light or on the outer edges of the woodland where the trees are not so dense.
These plants need full sun to flower well. Don’t put them under trees or shaded by other plants. Avoid the north end of buildings, as well. Place them in an area with at least six hours of sun to ensure flowering.
3. Clay Soil
Daffodils thrive in well-draining, nutrient-rich soil.
If you plant them in clay-heavy ground that gets waterlogged, the bulb’s ability to generate enough energy to grow and produce flowers will be impeded. They might even begin to rot.
Allowing other plants to swamp the daffodil bulbs during the seasons in between can also reduce soil quality and cause suppression of proper bloom development. The result? Daffodil blindness.
4. Not Enough Water
Drought conditions or a lack of moisture can also prevent blooms. So, monitor the weather throughout the year and add moisture when the soil begins to dry out.
When you first plant them or in the early spring, the soil should stay moist. It should feel like a well-wrung-out sponge. Once the leaves emerge and the flowers open, you can let the top inch of soil dry out between watering.
Your finger is the best way to test the soil moisture. Just stick it in the soil near the plant and if it feels moist from your first knuckle to fingertip, you’re good to go.
Once the flowers drop, stop watering and let the leaves turn yellow and dieback.
As you can see, water early in the season is important.
5. Lack of Nutrients
Daffodils aren’t demanding when it comes to nutrients, but they do need some food. In the first year after planting, they’ll be fine. But in year two on, you might want to top dress with some well-rotted compost just as the leaves are starting to emerge.
6. Removing the Leaves Too Soon
It’s tempting to remove the leaves right after the flowers have faded, but you need to leave them in place so they can gather up light and water to provide the bulbs with the nutrition they need to flower the following year.
If you pull those leaves too early, the bulbs will not get enough nutrients and will not flower next year.
Wait until the foliage is yellow and comes away easily if you gently pull it up and away from the plant.
7. Wrong Planting Depth
If you plant the bulbs too shallow, they will divide too quickly, which means small bulbs that don’t have enough energy to bloom. They might produce a ton of leaves but not many, or any, flowers.
Large bulbs should be about six inches deep and smaller bulbs about four inches deep.
Diseases
Daffodil blindness can happen due to the effects of some diseases. The impact of diseases means that the bulb and subsequent plant lack the resources to develop properly.
8. Narcissus Basal Rot
This fungal disease (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. narcissi.) causes the base of the plant to rot, weakening the bulb and inhibiting flowering.vBulbs in storage might form a pink fuzzy coating as they rot.
It can spread quickly through bulb clumps, leading to fewer blooms and, in more severe cases, no flowers at all.
Untreated, this disease could fill the entire garden with daffodil blindness. No reliable treatments exist, though Mycostop, mentioned below, can reduce the incidence and delay the spread.
Practice good crop rotation and inspect your bulbs carefully before planting. If you see signs of rot on your bulbs, treat them with hot water.
This involves putting some sulfu fungicide in water and bringing it to 110°F. Place the bulbs in the water and maintain this temperature for three hours.
9. Botrytis Leaf Blight aka Smoulder
Botrytis leaf blight is a fungal disease caused by the pathogen Botrytis narcissicola (syn. Sclerotinia narcissicola). It targets the leaves of daffodils and can be a devastating disease.
It causes curling leaves that might turn yellow along the margins. Gray mold might form on the bulb or base of the plant.
If the leaves are significantly damaged and contaminated, photosynthesis will be difficult.
With poor or interrupted uptake of nutrients, there will not be the energy to develop a flower.
Unfortunately, there isn’t an excellent treatment option. Crop rotation is the best prevention, meaning you should only keep daffodils in an area once every five years.
You can treat the bulbs with a product called Mycostop, which is available at Amazon. Use it to spray the bulbs or soak the soil. You will probably need to repeat the treatment several times. Sometimes, it’s just easier to start with new bulbs.
If you haven’t planted the bulbs, yet, you can treat them with hot water, which we discuss above.
Learn more about dealing with botrytis in our guide.
Pests
Sometimes, pest problems go unnoticed because daffodil bulbs and plants are only active once a year in the spring. It’s only when the growing season rolls around that they become noticeable, and we start to investigate. But that pest has been feeding out all year.
10. Bulb Scale Mites
Bulb scale mites (Steneotarsonemus laticeps) This is one for when storing daffodil bulbs, for after dividing large clumps and before planting out store brought ones.
Bulb scale mites are only visible with a microscope, so watching out for the signs rather than the pests themselves is the first step to preventing further problems.
They cause scarring, swelling, and discoloration of the bulbs.
Infected bulbs can quickly rot or soften and be useless when planted. One infected bulb can spread the infestation further to other bulbs. Pretty soon, your whole garden is filled with daffodil blindness.
Infected bulbs can be treated with hot water.
11. Narcissus Bulb Fly
The larvae of this narcissus bulb fly (Merodon equestris) feed on the daffodil bulbs, causing damage that can weaken the bulbs to the point they are unable to produce flowers. It eventually destroys the center of the bulb.
The debris left in the center has antifungal properties that will keep the bulb alive long enough to allow it to form a second meristem. But this process can take a few years and, meanwhile, you won’t have any blossoms.
If you see the pests before you plant, you can treat the bulb with hot water as described above.
12. Narcissus Nematode
Nematodes are microscopic, parastici roundworms and there are species that survive on daffodil bulbs, called Ditylenchus dipsaci.
If you don’t detect them quickly, they will multiply, significantly damaging the bulb’s development and causing daffodil blindness.
They causes bulb swelling, stunted growth, distorted growth, a lack of blossoms, and might even kill the bulb.
There is no way to cure the problem, so pull any infected bulbs, seal them in a bag, and dispose of them in the garbage, not the compost.
13. Slugs and Snails
Believe it or not, these mollusk nuisances not only nibble the flowers when in bud or full bloom, but can damage the plants’ mechanism to grow properly.
It affects the entire season’s growth, even before it starts, and to the point the plant is unable to develop a flower at all.
Visit our guide to learn some effective slug and snail control methods.
14. Thrips
Adult thrips, as well as their young, are tiny but cause outsized damage, including daffodil blindness.
In high enough numbers, they can drain the sap from the bulb with their sucking mouthparts and leaves enough to stunt its growth and reduce or even prevent blooming.
Additionally, as they piece the plant, they inject an enzyme that keeps the sap of the daffodil flowing. Losing this vital substance is incredibly draining. They also spread diseases, making the problem even worse.
If you’d like to learn more about how to handle thrips in the garden, please check out our guide.
Helping Daffodils Bloom
Understanding the needs of daffodils will help ensure each growing season is a success and avoid daffodil blindness.
Sun and Moisture
Choose a sunny location with well-draining soil to plant your daffodil bulbs.
Plant them in the fall at the appropriate depth and with good spacing, with a minimum of six inches apart, depending on the type. They will spread a bit each year to year and good spacing will help reduce issues.
Keep the soil consistently moist to the touch, and be mindful of watering too much. The main period for water attention is through the growth times. During the dormant season, you can stop watering.
Add an inch layer of organic mulch around the daffodil plants without touching them to help retain moisture.
Mulch will also suppress weeds and provide added nutrients as it slowly breaks down into the soil.
Feeding
Watch the foliage of the emerging daffodils as they should be plump, upright, and green.
Apply a balanced fertilizer in the spring as the shoots first emerge. This provides essential nutrients for healthy growth and flowering.
A good fertilizer when first planting bulbs has low nitrogen levels. Something with a 3-6-6 or 5-10-10 ratio is ideal. Something like Lilly Miller’s Morcrop food, available at Amazon, is perfect.
For established daffodil clumps, spread slow-release fertilizer granules mixed with fresh organic compost around. This will support growth throughout the spring and assist with stabilizing the bulbs for the following year.
Maintenance
Remove faded flowers once the blooms are finished. This assists the plant in redirecting vital energy back into the bulb to strengthen it for its dormant seasons rather than channelling the energy to produce seeds.
Leave the green foliage in place as this will die back as the season ends, drawing the resources in the leaves back into the bulb.
Don’t lift daffodil bulbs for three years so that they can settle, grow, and multiply. Lifting too soon may threaten the onset of daffodil blindness disorder, as some bulbs may be underdeveloped and weak.
Any lifting and division should be done after flowering, and the foliage has died back.
If storing the bulbs, make sure they are air dried and kept in a paper bag or breathable container. For warmer zones, store them in a fridge, and for cooler zones, in a dark, dry location away from pests.
Pest and Disease Control
Monitor your plants carefully throughout the year, even when bulbs are dormant. It’s never a bad idea to carefully dig up a bulb once every few months just to check it.
Use floral netting, fencing, or stakes at times of growth in order to prevent ground pest invasion. This will also help reduce the risk of soil-borne diseases infecting leaves lying on the ground.
You can also grow in containers if you want to avoid some diseases.