How to Store Daffodil Bulbs

Daffodils (Narcissus spp.), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, depending on the variety, perform best when planted in fall. Winter allows them time to grow roots and develop energy for their spring blooms. If you're moving your garden or dividing bulbs, or you just inherited some bulbs at an inconvenient time, then store them correctly until autumn so they can bloom their best next spring.

Daffodil, jonquil and narcissus are names used interchangeably for the members of the Narcissus genus. All grow from tunicate bulbs -- specialized roots with outer skins that have adapted to survive over millennia of changes on Earth.

A bulb never really stops growing because each year it not only produces a flower but also an embryo of next year's flower -- which it nurtures and feeds until it's time to bloom. Daffodils' cue to produce blooms occurs when soil temperatures warm into the 50 degree Fahrenheit range and spring days lengthen.

When you must move or divide the bulbs, store them in conditions that allow them to continue to grow inside their skins or tunics.

When daffodils' blooms begin to decrease over the years, the bulbs should be divided and stored. They also can be divided and stored at other times, such as when you're moving and want to take a few favorite daffodils with you or when you want to force some to bloom indoors during winter.

After their blooms have faded, daffodil plants spend several weeks soaking up sunlight and nutrients for the long journey to next spring. Do not trim or dig up their bulbs until their leaves die back in early summer. After wiping soil off the bulbs, lay them in a single layer in cool shade to allow their tunics to dry.

After the bulbs' tunics are dry and papery, store the bulbs in a nylon stocking or mesh produce bag in a dark, dry, cool area. A dry cellar or basement will do for most daffodils. Alternatively, keep the bulbs in a refrigerator if no apples or other ethylene-producing fruits are nearby.

Keep the bulbs at 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit for summer storage. Many daffodils require 12 to 18 weeks of chilling at 38 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, typically accomplished during winter in the ground. Native species and poet daffodils (Narcissus poeticus), however, do not need chilling. One poet daffodil is pheasant’s eye (Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus), which is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 7.

Gardeners in areas outside of their daffodils' USDA zones have the option of digging up and storing their daffodil bulbs to prevent them from enduring hot summers or extremely cold winters, which the bulbs may not survive.

Daffodil bulbs should go back into the garden four to six weeks before the location's first average annual frost date -- typically from the end of September through October in many parts of the United States. In warmer areas where frost is rare, the bulbs can be planted in December or January. Plant daffodil bulbs in pots if you want to force the plants to bloom, and take them indoors 10 to 12 weeks before the desired bloom time.