GET THE DIRT: Daffodils causing problem

on September 08, 2008 at 5:04 PM, updated September 08, 2008 at 5:06 PM

Dear Sheila: We have a patch of 8-year-old double pink daffodils. Every year they reach about 2 feet and then the buds all turn brown and they don't flower. They have sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. - Leland Wise

Dear Leland: It sounds like they are suffering flower "blasting." It is caused by many different conditions, including, and not limited to, planting too late, improper storage before planting, moisture control, sudden temperature changes or viruses.

If the planting is late there is not enough time for roots to develop.
In storing bulbs, do not store in a refrigerator with fruit (ethylene gas from fruit causes blasting also) and always plant as soon as they arrive.

With viruses, the leaves also would show streaking or yellow areas. Lift and destroy immediately.

In daffodils, blasting is most common in late-blooming and double-flowered cultivars. Among the blast-resistant ones are Meeting, Sir Winston Churchill, Tahiti, Baby Moon, Grace Note and Geranium.

It's best to dig and discarded the ones you have.