Monday, May 24, 2010

How do I protect my daffodils which have 3-4 inch shoots from tomorrows snow in London?

The daffodils I planted in October/November are just putting out 3-4 inch leaves. I'm worried that the frost these days and the snow predicted for tomorrow will kill them off and I won't have any daffodils in spring. I read on yahoo answers a suggestion to remove all the plants to a greenhouse. I can't do that as I literally planted hundreds of bulbs. This is my first winter in London and as I am originally from a warm country I don't have much idea about gardening here. I think the best thing about England is her spring flowers and I want my own daffodils - Help!!

How do I protect my daffodils which have 3-4 inch shoots from tomorrows snow in London?
If you haven't got any plastic sheeting, use newspaper wrapped gently round them. (I would say toilet roll cores, but that's no good if you don't keep them!)


Of course, the laugh of it all is that as I sit looking through my window here in London at just before 4pm, the sun is shining out of a clear blue sky and there is no sign of even a slight breeze. Now, to get snow, we need clouds, and to get clouds we need the wind to blow them over us. I therefore wonder: No breeze, no clouds; no clouds, no snow! OK, it'll turn b. cold with a clear sky overnight, but I just wonder if they've got it right despite all the weather warnings.
Reply:You don't need to do anything to your daffs. They will easily survive the snow. My mum is secretary of our local gardening society and she says it's true! Your daffs will be absolutely fine - early spring bulbs are not killed off by the cold.
Reply:daffodils are hardy/strong enough to cope with all the bad weather that has been forecast for next few days. stop worrying about them! the worst thing that could happen is that they will flower slightly later that was stated on the packaging.
Reply:Just leave them, once they are planted they look after themselves whatever the weather.
Reply:Daffodils are used to snow, they are extremely hardy, as are all spring flowering bulbs. No need to worry!!
Reply:daffodils are quite capable of surviving frost and snow
Reply:daffodils do fine in the snow -- and look quite nice peeping out over the top of a snowy yard.
Reply:Hello there, I'm in Scotland and it's really cold! If snow comes we should be thankfull because it will protect plants from the frost, acting like a blanket. Trust me! They will be perfectly fine.
Reply:I live in Chicago, IL USA and we get sub-zero weather in the winter.


Daffodils are hardy plants and the bulbs easily survive sub-zero temps, BUT the leaves can be damaged by a late frost. The flower will still bloom later on, but if you want to protect the leaves from the snow and ice, a good thing to do would be to aquire some very large styrofoam cups, and turn them over onto your plants. You can put a weight on top to keep them from flying away until the snowfall, after which you can use the snow to hold them down.


It works great over here, in fact, garden companies make and sell the styrofoam cups in many shapes and sizes, even for small trees!


No need to put them in a greenhouse, in fact it may hinder bloom if you move the plants. Plastic can actually do more harm then good, especially if the cold plastic comes in contact with the plant.


The leaves may be damaged, but like I said, the flowers will come up fine, so you could actually leave it alone if you like. Remember, though, next years' plants depend on the daffodils' leaves. You should not remove the leaves, even after bloom, because the leaves feed the bulbs for next years' growth.


Another tip - crocus is a lovely tulip-style flower that will never need protection from the cold or snow. They actually begin blooming through the snow!





I hope this helps!
Reply:Cover them with a little mulch or straw, or "tent" them in plastic.
Reply:I know how you feel but the daffodills are a strong little flower and if it did snow that bad and the snow covered them you would be up there with every one else but when you can,if you can gently brush the snow from the tops off it is the weight of the snow that will kill them not the cold.
Reply:the daffs will be okay
Reply:Don't bother.They are hardy plants.Look at any large open space like Hampton Court the dafs will be in bloom in their thousands before too long.The snow actually acts as an insulator
Reply:Most daffs are pretty hardy. Especially in English winters, as you pointed out English springs are hosts for beautiful daffodils. If you are really worried, you can cover them lightly with burlap or even an old blanket; but you don't really need to.
Reply:cover them well in plastic to keep the frost and snow off
Reply:You can try covering them with plastic sheeting. They are pretty hardy, however, and may not need covering at all.
Reply:leave them they will survive
Reply:Daffs and snowdrops are remarkably resilient to our winter weather so unless the temperature drops to below freezing for several days (and don't forget snow actually warms the temperature) you shouldn't need to worry.
Reply:Just leave them be and they will be fine. The worst thing you could do is to cover them with sheets of plastic. Trust me.


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