Is January too late to plant daffodil bulbs in Phoenix, Arizona?

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January is not too late to plant daffodil bulbs here in the Phoenix, Arizona area. If you have a time machine, it would be best to go plant them last year in September or October, but you can still plant them now in January.

It's tempting to buy them all grown and blooming, and I saw a lot at Lowe's yesterday, but all you are going to get out of that is to watch the blooming end and the leaves die back. Better to get some fresh bulbs, prepare a planting area in a sunny spot, and watch them grow. The small blooms, like paperwhites, are in bloom now, and will be fading soon, so it would be best to get a larger variety, like King Alfred, that blooms later.

Your daffodils will bloom and grow until it just gets too hot here, which begins about in April. Plenty of time! Also, keep in mind that your daffodil bulbs can stay in the ground all year, and they will multiply, and you will have even more next year! The blooms in this photo are starting on January 9th from bulbs that have been in the ground, and bloomed every year, since 2008.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Brad,

How do I get daffodils to bloom? I'm in Goodyear, AZ. I read bulbs need to be chill for 6-8 weeks and plant them in fall. So once plant die back should i leave in ground until sept, dig them to chill for 6-8 weeks then re-plant them? mingsing88@yahoo.com.
thank you.
March 27, 2013 at 8:41 AM
Brad Hall said…
Hi - you don't need to chill daffodils, just plant them fairly deep in some nice potting soil and water them well. You can plant them here in the Phoenix area anytime, and there no need to dig them up. But it is very important to let the leaves die back after they bloom to ensure blooms for next year!
March 29, 2013 at 8:23 PM
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