Daffodils blooming in January

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It's early January and here in the Phoenix, Arizona, area, temperatures are getting pretty cold at night, down to nearly freezing. During the day it is getting into the fifties and low sixties and with a lot of sunshine. Great golf weather for our tourists, and also the time start watching your bulbs start to grow. I've been planting bulbs here in The Tropical Paradise for years, especially Narcissus (daffodils). My experience is that it matters less where they came from, including The Dollar Store, than the care and feeding you give them. These daffodils started blooming around Christmastime and are getting pretty near their maximum in January.

Like all daffodils, they come back year after year. So once they start showing a little growth above ground, give them some plant food. It really doesn't matter what kind - I like the little houseplant spikes that you can get for 99 cents. Be sure to insert the spike slightly away from the bulb, you don't want to injure the roots. It will dissolve, and close counts here. Or sprinkle some dry plant food on the top of the soil and scratch it in. Or spray some Miracle Grow on them. Or do all of these things!

Don't be afraid to give daffodils plenty of water. And be sure to plant them where they will get as much sun as possible. In the shade, they will grow, but they won't bloom. This grandiflora variety is coming up very early, the bigger, more traditional daffodils, King Edwards, are just barely starting to grow leaves. They will bloom much later. Excuse me, I've got to go feed my daffodils!

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