Daffodils

[Somerset Squall]

In my garden, the daffodils are just starting to poke through. This doesn't usually happen until January. What has made them come up so early this year? Is it happening anywhere else?

[Weather-history]

We've just had an exceptionally mild Autumn up to the middle of November.

You can tell how cold a winter has been is how late do the daffodils blossom during the spring. The daffodils didn't blossom here until April after the winter of 1995-96, but during the winter of 1989-90, the daffodils were up and blossomed by the end of February 1990.

I think during the winter of 1988-89, there was actually a shortage of daffodils for St David's Day (1st of March) because the winter was so mild that they had already blossomed and were dying off by the time, St David's Day had come.

Edited November 28, 2005 by Mr_Data

[Somerset Squall]

Thanks for that Mr_Data. I was wondering if that was the reason, but I wasn't sure.

[fine wine]

I noticed ours coming up a month ago. I had a goog look at them yesterday and we even have some of the flower buds pushing up through the soil, so who knows, daffodils ina month?

[Summer of 95]

Last winter the first daffodils appeared here in mid-January, something I'd never seen before even in those mild winters around 1990 when late Feb was a typical time.

Normally they appear some time in March.

[Verglas]

can't remember about the daffs last year, but we had primroses in flower before last xmas, havn't seen any so far though, just the leaves yet.

[snowy owl]

my daffs will not be coming up just yet - I forgot to replant them !! Only managed to get them in the ground on hogmanay!!!

flowers in spring/summer for me - ooopppsss

[acbrixton]

my daffs will not be coming up just yet - I forgot to replant them !! Only managed to get them in the ground on hogmanay!!!

flowers in spring/summer for me - ooopppsss

Well that won't do them much good! Daffodils should either be left undisturbed or lifted when the leaves have completely died down. When planting/re-planting Daffodils need to be in the ground ideally in September but will cope with early/mid October. They are, it seems, sensitive to the changing patterns of night and day.

Tulips on the other hand can be planted from early October to early December (November ideally).

Regards

ACB

[mushymanrob]

theres nothing unusual about daffs appearing by late november, as a professional gardener i dont start any winter digging on my sites until the daffs are through so i can dig around them. ive usualy completed my work by crimbo...

[Verglas]

I saw a daff in bud in a garden near here last weekend.

Last winter we had primroses in flower in the front hedge before christmas (and still in flower for about 3 months) but no sign of that yet this winter.

( we are relatively warm here with the influence of the sea though )

[Great Plum]

Hardly a bulb in m grden in Reigate is showing yet - I think we nearly had daffs in flower this time last year!

[SteveB]

I planted some bluebells and snowdrop bulbs last september. I noticed today that the snowdrops are starting to push through.

I heard that these were fairly difficult to grow, as the bulb has a tendancy to rot,so I am pleased that they are starting to show.

Edited January 8, 2006 by SteveB

[katiekinz]

I noticed blossom blooming the other day :o

[Stoxs]

at the beginning of january i saw a small clump of snowdrops out in flower !!!

bit of a surprise with the cooler feel to the weather over the past weeks

[kippure]

Snow drops are starting to bloom ,a sign of the resent mild spell.

If i were them i,d go straight back under ground ,this weeks frost is going to wipe them out.

[Stoxs]

Snow drops are starting to bloom ,a sign of the resent mild spell.

If i were them i,d go straight back under ground ,this weeks frost is going to wipe them out.

yep quiet agree that is the problem with mild mid winters evrything gets up and going then bam cold er air and you have lost the lot even worse with harsh frosts in the spring can seriously damge blosom and fruit crops

[noggin]

I noticed blossom blooming the other day :huh: :o

Could have been a Winter-flowering prunus (?).

Saw some snowdrops in flower on Sunday. Wasn't sure if they were early, late or just right. Don't know much about snowdrops. Hyacinths poking through here.

[SnowBear]

I think we need to be careful sometimes now with what flowers when, is many plants with strains that have been cultured for early/late/all year round flowering, that said, recent years much seems to have "lost" its seasonal clock for sure, especially some of the native "hedgerow" species holding leaves later, flowering earlier, flowering twice

[Somerset Squall]

Yeah, I've got some snowdrops here too, but they don't seem to have flowers on yet. What surprised me though is the hyacinths have poked through, along with tulips just poking through the soil, very early!!

[kippure]

Is this a marry gold???

[Terminal Moraine]

Is this a marry gold???

No, K, it's a Primula.

T.M

[kippure]

No, K, it's a Primula.

T.M

Thanks T.M

Them little fellows are popping up all over my flower beds. Planted tons of Daffs at the end of September.

These Primula,s must have sneaked in.

[cheeky_monkey]

is it me..but the daffs this year are much later than last...daffs in my garden were just comming into bud on jan 9 2005...still havnt reached that stage as yet 5 feb 2006...probaly down to the large number of air frosts experienced this winter as opposed to others...this is the latest they have made an appearence since the mid 1990s!

[Weather-history]

is it me..but the daffs this year are much later than last...daffs in my garden were just comming into bud on jan 9 2005...still havnt reached that stage as yet 5 feb 2006...probaly down to the large number of air frosts experienced this winter as opposed to others...this is the latest they have made an appearence since the mid 1990s!

The daffodils are later than they have been recently here. Our neighbour has quite a number of daffs in his garden which faces south but they are barely poking their heads above the soil.

It flies in the face of the Sun story that was published a couple of weeks ago

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006020714,00.html

The mild conditions mean daffs are blooming around the UK.

Some are even starting to wilt as if they are finding temperatures too high.

Lucy Croft, 24, posed with a crop of daffs at the National Trust’s Cothele House in Cornwall.

Head gardener David Bouch said: “It means winter is over and spring is here. I think we’re in for a fantastic spring and summer.”

What a load of diahorrea!

[Andy Bown]

In the milder weather of 2/3 weeks ago the daffodil stalks began to grow in our garden up to about 6cm. Since the cold weather began, with nightly frosts and ice days, they haven't even doubled their height above the ground!