Narcissiare spring flowering bulbs, usually associated with yellow, although there are also varieties that bloom in white, orange or pink. They can be successfully grown in garden beds, as well as in pots on balconies and terraces, as well as cut into a vase. See when and how to carry outplanting narcissus bulbsand how to grow these flowers in the garden.
Large-cup daffodils have one flower on the stem with a widely flared cup, longer than a third of the length of the petals but always shorter than them.
In the photo narcissus 'Salome'
Narcissus - species and varieties
"Many people believe that the name of the genus Narcissus comes from the mythological Narcissus, a young man who fell in love with his reflection in water. Meanwhile, it turns out that the name of the genus comes from the Greek word narcissos (which means anesthesia, falling asleep) and is associated with the specieswhite narcissus , otherwise also known as sweet narcissus (Narcissus poeticus), which has a characteristic a narcotic smell. It is considered a typical species of the genus Narcissus. "
Narcissus are typically spring flowers , associated with yellow. However, there are also orange, salmon, pink and completely white narcissi.Narcissus flowersare usually fragrant, with a cup inside, growing individually on the stem. The exception is the daffodil (Narcissus jonquilla), with 2 - 6 flowers per shoot.
In addition to botanical species, there are several (or even a dozen) thousand.cultivarsvarieties of narcissus , resulting from crossing different species of narcissus. Often their origin cannot be established anymore, therefore they are described together as Narcissus spp. In order to organize these numerous varieties and forms of narcissus, gardeners divided them into 12 groups. Of these, the most sumptuous flowers havetrumpet narcissi , whose caps are trumpet-shaped and longer than the surrounding perianth petals. Ularge cup narcissuspetals are similar in length to the cup, and insmall cup narcissus , the petals of the perianth are much longer than the cup. There are also many forms with full flowers, as well as attractive hybrids such as Cyclamineus with petals bent back.
Trumpet narcissus is distinguished by the length of the cup, which is at least as long as the petals of the crown. They are resistant flowers, very lively and with time they grow into large colonies
Narcissus - application, where to plant
Narcissuscan be found in almost every garden, where they bloom beautifully from March to May. They are perfect for formal spring beds, early mixed plantings and for naturalization. They can also be planted in grass. The low forms fit perfectly into a rockery.
These plants can also be grown in pots, suitable for forcing and cut flowers.
Note! If we put narcissus in a vase with other flowers, remember that they adversely affect other cut flowers, accelerating their wilting (narcissus gives off sticky juice that is harmful to other flowers). To avoid this, put the narcissi in a vase with lukewarm water one day earlier. Within 24 hours, the sticky sap will separate from the narcissus, and they will no longer pose a threat to the rest of the flowers. The next day, let's change the water and we can safely attach other flowers.
Narcissus - planting and cultivation
Planting narcissus
In the gardennarcissus bulbs are planted from August to mid-SeptemberThese plants grow best in sunny or slightly shaded positions. They can be grown in almost any soil, but they will grow best in permeable and moist soil, with a pH close to neutral.Daffodil bulbs are planted 10 to 20 cm deepdepending on the size of the bulb. It is good to mulch the planting site with peat, sawdust or straw.
Narcissus Tete-aTete is a very interesting dwarf variety belonging to the group of Cyclamineus hybrids. Reaches a height of 15 - 20 cm
Narcissus care in spring
When winter is over and the growing season begins,narcissus should be watered abundantlyHigh soil moisture promotes the development of these plants. Narcissus will bloom beautifully in March and will decorate our garden until May. If we plantednarcissus in the grass , remember not to mow it for about a month after the narcissus blooms.
Digging up narcissus bulbs
When the plants have faded and their leaves start to dry, we candig out narcissus bulbs in JulyHowever, it is not necessary, which is an undoubted advantage of these flowers and makes growing them much easier. If we have left the bulbs in the soil, stop watering them to give them a rest period.
The need to dig out the bulbs occurs approximately every 3 to 4 years, when as a result of the multiplication of the adventitious bulbs, the plants get denser and have smaller and smaller flowers. We keep the dug upnarcissus bulbsin boxes in an airy place. A little dampness will not hurt them, as the roots on narcissus bulbs do not dry out completely.
Breeding narcissists
"When the adventitious bulbs are visible around the mother onion, we can separate them before re-planting. Remember, however, to separate only the onions that can be easily separated from the mother onions, without the use of force. If the adventitious bulbs stick firmly to the mother onion, it means that they are not fully independent yet and separation should be postponed until the next year.If we split the bulbs sufficiently independent - narcissi will bloom in the next year.
Based on: C. Brickell, Wielka Encyklopedia Ogrodnictwa, Muza SA, Warsaw 1994, p. 225, and K. Mynett, Narcissus - a white prince, My Beautiful Garden, No. 3/97, p. 14 - 15.
