3 Ways To Transplant Daffodils - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Transplant Daffodils PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Harmony Corelitz

Last Updated: February 24, 2025 Approved

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  • Dividing Daffodils
    • |
  • Transplanting Daffodils Outdoors
    • |
  • Transplanting Daffodils Into a Container
    • |
  • Video
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  • Q&A
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  • Tips
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  • Warnings
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This article was co-authored by Harmony Corelitz. Harmony Corelitz is a Plant Specialist and the Ecommerce Manager at Crimson Horticultural Rarities, Inc, a boutiue offering rare plants, flower arragements, and handmade goods. Harmony grew up helping her parents run their family business in plant maintenance and interior plantscaping. Harmony specializes in indoor plant care and interior plant design. Prior to her workwith Crimson Horticultural Rarities, she started her pop-up plant and vintage home goods shop called Younger Child and helped her former employer, Plants and Friends, grow and expand to two locations. She holds a BA from the University of San Francisco. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 16 testimonials and 93% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 140,490 times.

After a few years, daffodils can multiply into thick clumps and get a bit too crowded. This occurs when the original single bulb multiplies into a clump of several conjoined bulbs by producing offspring that are known as ‘offsets’. This can result in fewer and smaller blooms, so it’s a good idea to thin and spread this clump out by transplanting and dividing your daffodils. It also means you can spread your daffodils over a larger area.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Dividing Daffodils

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  1. Step 1 Divide and transplant daffodils at the end of the growing season. 1 Divide and transplant daffodils at the end of the growing season. Wait until the growing season is over before you begin. When the growing season is over, the foliage will wither away and turn yellow or brown. This usually happens in the late spring or early summer.[1]
    • If you wait much later in the year you may not be able to find your daffodils, as the plant will be dormant and any visible signs of it hidden under the ground. Because of this, try to take action when there’s still some of the plant visible above ground.
  2. Step 2 Dig up the daffodil bulbs without damaging them. 2 Dig up the daffodil bulbs without damaging them. Use a garden spade to dig up the bulbs, being careful to avoid damaging them. You’ll want to dig quite a long way from the plant to avoid slicing through it accidentally.[2]
    • Bulbs are usually planted pretty deep, and over time daffodil bulbs can wriggle a bit lower into the soil, so expect to dig to about the depth of an average spade.
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  3. Step 3 Gently separate the daffodil bulbs. 3 Gently separate the daffodil bulbs. Once you locate the bulb, gently part it from the earth as carefully as possible, trying not to damage any roots. Gently separate the bulb clumps by twisting and pulling them apart with your fingers. Keep as many of the divided bulbs (also known as offsets) as you want to replant.[3]
    • The very smallest offsets may not flower within a year. Discard any that are damaged, mushy or show any signs of rot.
  4. Step 4 Replant the daffodil bulbs as soon as possible. 4 Replant the daffodil bulbs as soon as possible. It’s best to replant the bulbs fairly quickly if you can, although they should be fine for several weeks out of ground if delay is unavoidable. Store any bulbs you aren’t planting immediately in a cool dry place.[4]
    • One ideal way to store them is in a paper bag in a dark corner of a garden shed.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Transplanting Daffodils Outdoors

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  1. Step 1 Find a sunny spot in the garden to replant the daffodils. 1 Find a sunny spot in the garden to replant the daffodils. Find a new spot in the garden for your divided daffodil offsets. They will prefer a sunny patch, although they’ll tolerate partial shade for some of the day. A daffodil plant needs to receive at least three hours of sunlight per day.[5]
  2. Step 2 Plant the daffodil bulbs in well-drained, composted soil. 2 Plant the daffodil bulbs in well-drained, composted soil. Daffodils need a well-drained soil, so try to avoid planting them anywhere that puddles form and don’t easily drain away. Daffodil bulbs rot easily in wet ground.[6]
    • It’s a good idea to incorporate plenty of compost or organic matter, such as well-rotted horse manure, into the soil. If you aren’t sure how much to use, cover your soil to a depth of 2 to 4 inches (5.1 to 10.2 cm) with the manure and then mix it with the existing soil.
    • If your soil is clay heavy and tends to retain water, you might may want to add some grit into the soil to improve drainage.
  3. Step 3 Plant each bulb in a hole three times as deep as the width of the bulb. 3 Plant each bulb in a hole three times as deep as the width of the bulb. To plant each bulb, dig a hole three times as deep as the bulb is wide—that’s around 6 inches (15.2 cm) in depth for a 2 inch (5.1 cm) bulb.[7]
    • If you can, add a trowel full of compost to the bottom of the hole for the bulb to sit on. Put the bulb in the hole with the pointed end facing upwards.
    • Fill the hole with soil and water well. You might like to top-dress (add a top layer) of fertilizer or mulch.
  4. Step 4 Plant any remaining bulbs back in the original location. 4 Plant any remaining bulbs back in the original location. Now go back to the area where your bulbs were growing originally and replant the bulbs using the same approach. Having such a crowd of bulbs in this patch may have taken a lot of the nutrients from the soil, so it’s especially important to refresh the ground with fertilizer in this spot.
  5. Step 5 Feed the transplanted bulbs with a water-soluble fertilizer. 5 Feed the transplanted bulbs with a water-soluble fertilizer. In the fall, give your transplanted bulbs a good feed with a water-soluble fertilizer. During the fall the roots are most actively growing, so the fall feeding will help your transplanted bulbs get established in their new home. All bulbs will appreciate an annual top dressing of fertilizer or mulch.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Transplanting Daffodils Into a Container

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  1. Step 1 Plant daffodil bulbs in a deep pot with good drainage. 1 Plant daffodil bulbs in a deep pot with good drainage. You can also move daffodil offsets to a container. Try to choose a deep pot to give their roots plenty of room (at least 8 inches). The pot should have drainage holes.[8]
  2. Step 2 Use bulb compost or regular potting compost. 2 Use bulb compost or regular potting compost. Bulb compost or regular potting compost will work well for daffodils in pots. Fill the pot so that it is about two-thirds full, and plant the bulbs pointed end upwards. The bulbs should be close but not touching. Cover the bulbs with soil and water the pot.[9]
  3. Step 3 Keep the pot in a cool, dark spot for the first few months. 3 Keep the pot in a cool, dark spot for the first few months. Move the container to a cool dark spot such as a shed or cellar for a few months rather than bringing it into a warm home. Continue to water it and bring it out into a warmer, lighter place after about three months.
    • It’s best not to put containers of daffodils in a warm location as this inhibits flowering.
  4. Step 4 Fertilize potted daffodils with bone meal. 4 Fertilize potted daffodils with bone meal. After flowering, top dress your container with a fertilizer such as bone meal (this is pretty stinky so you may not want to keep it in the house!).
  5. Step 5 Replant fresh bulbs each year. 5 Replant fresh bulbs each year. Daffodils should survive three years in a container but won’t be as good after the first year. For best results, plant the spent bulbs outside after the foliage dies back and replant your container with fresh bulbs for the following flowering season.
  6. Step 6 Transplant daffodils from a pot to the ground. 6 Transplant daffodils from a pot to the ground. Indoor planted daffodils and those previously planted in containers can be moved to the outside for planting in the ground. The best time to do this is after they flower and when the foliage has died back. This will typically be in the late summer or early autumn.
    • Follow the steps outlined in Method 1 to transplant your daffodil bulbs.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question Can I transplant bulbs in February after they have started to grow? Community Answer Community Answer If they haven't bloomed you can, but you don't want them to waste energy on growing roots and settling into their new homes before they bloom. The best time is after the leaves turn yellow in late spring/early summer. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 17
  • Question How do I plant potted daffodils directly into a garden? Community Answer Community Answer Dig a hole in the garden. Place the rootball into the hole. Cover the hole and water it. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 12
  • Question What do I do if my daffodils didn't come up? Can I dig up the bulbs and replant them? Are they done for? Community Answer Community Answer The success rate of daffodils is around 90%. Daffodils are very hardy. They may not bloom the first year, but give them a chance to do so once they're established after the first year. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 3
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Video

Tips

  • A more natural effect can be achieved if the planting is uneven—try to avoid planting them in neat rows as this may look too regimented when the plant appears. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
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Warnings

  • Daffodils fare well and look good when planted under grass but you will need to avoid mowing the lawn in that area until late summer when the foliage withers away. If you cut back the foliage too soon after flowering, you will deprive the plant of the ability to gain energy from sunlight. It needs this energy to survive the dormant stage over winter and thrive the next year. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 2
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.brecks.com/blog/moving-dividing-daffodils
  2. ↑ https://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/flower-gardening/transplanting-perennials/
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atQ7-3s39kw
  4. ↑ https://hoosierhomemade.com/how-to-divide-and-replant-daffodil-bulbs/
  5. ↑ https://www.almanac.com/plant/daffodils
  6. ↑ https://www.almanac.com/plant/daffodils
  7. ↑ https://www.almanac.com/plant/daffodils
  8. ↑ https://www.gardenia.net/guide/planting-daffodils-in-pot-and-containers
  9. ↑ https://www.gardenia.net/guide/planting-daffodils-in-pot-and-containers

About This Article

Harmony Corelitz Co-authored by: Harmony Corelitz Plant Specialist This article was co-authored by Harmony Corelitz. Harmony Corelitz is a Plant Specialist and the Ecommerce Manager at Crimson Horticultural Rarities, Inc, a boutiue offering rare plants, flower arragements, and handmade goods. Harmony grew up helping her parents run their family business in plant maintenance and interior plantscaping. Harmony specializes in indoor plant care and interior plant design. Prior to her workwith Crimson Horticultural Rarities, she started her pop-up plant and vintage home goods shop called Younger Child and helped her former employer, Plants and Friends, grow and expand to two locations. She holds a BA from the University of San Francisco. This article has been viewed 140,490 times. 14 votes - 93% Co-authors: 5 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 140,490 Categories: Growing Flowers Article SummaryX

It’s best to transplant daffodils when growing season is over in late spring or early summer. Carefully dig up the bulbs and plant them 6 inches deep in a well-drained mix of soil and compost. If you’re planting them outdoors, put them in a sunny spot. Or, if you’re planting them indoors, keep them in a cool, dark spot for the first 3 months so they don't flower too soon. After 3 months, move the daffodil bulbs to a sunny spot near a window. During the fall, mix some soluble fertilizer into their water to give them a boost of nutrients. For more tips, including how often to plant fresh daffodils, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

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    Ann

    Apr 26, 2018

    "I have tulips and daffodils that need to be moved because of construction we will be doing soon. After reading your..." more
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Harmony Corelitz Co-authored by: Harmony Corelitz Plant Specialist Co-authors: 5 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 140,490 93% of readers found this article helpful. 14 votes - 93% Click a star to add your vote Ann

Ann

Apr 26, 2018

"I have tulips and daffodils that need to be moved because of construction we will be doing soon. After reading your..." more T. B.

T. B.

May 11, 2016

"Our daffodils are moving from a window box to a ground garden. There was a large variety of useful transplanting..." more Anonymous

Anonymous

Jul 23, 2023

"My daffodils have been in the same place for 40 years! I just dug them up using your very easy-to-follow..." more Anonymous

Anonymous

Jun 6, 2017

"Transplant daffodils outdoors. I just bought a daffodil plant in a container, and I want the best for it. After a..." more Anonymous

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Mar 19, 2018

"We just bought daffodils. We are replanting them outside. This article helped very much! The daffodils will grow..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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