When to plant and prune Daffodil
Narcissus hybrids
Never cut, tie, or plait the foliage down after flowering to tidy it up — the leaves must be left to die back naturally over about 6 weeks to recharge the bulb for next year's flowers.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Pruning is driven by dormancy rather than frost, so it is not shifted by region — the same cut is right in Inverness and in Penzance. Planting windows do move.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| South Coast and Channel | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| South East and Home Counties | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| East Anglia | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| Wales and West Coast | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| Northern England | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| Northern Ireland | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early September to early October | late February to early May | deadhead after flowering |
How to prune it
Deadhead spent flowers; leave foliage to die back naturally for 6 weeks (do not cut, tie or plait leaves).
Severity: deadhead.
Feeding
High-potassium liquid feed for bulbs in containers, from when shoots appear until foliage starts to die down.
At a glance
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- H6
- Eventual height
- 0.4 m
- Eventual spread
- 0.1 m
- Years to maturity
- 1
- Spacing
- 10 cm
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained soil; avoid waterlogging
- Evergreen
- No
- Fragrance
- Scented
- Pollinator value
- 2 out of 5
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 10 litres or more
- Difficulty
- Easy
Safety
Bulbs and all parts are toxic if eaten and can cause skin irritation; a classic case of bulbs mistaken for onions with fatal consequences for pets/livestock.
Growing notes
Plant earlier than tulips — September is ideal — to allow good root establishment before winter. Naturalises well in grass and left undisturbed for years.
What usually goes wrong
- narcissus bulb fly
- basal rot
- slugs and snails
- narcissus viruses
Related guides
Cross-checked against RHS guidance.