Sproutin' Daffodils

February 3, 2006 10:27 AM

A freakishly warm winter and the daffodils are coming up...

They are showing about 2" of leaves already. Should I dig them up and continue to force them indoors? Or not worry? Baltimore, MD Zone 8 Coastal.

posted by Heatwole to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

Best answer: Don't worry. As spring bulbs they can handle the cold, but they will be harmed if the bloom before a frost, but the harm is mostly just losing the bloom.
posted by Alison at 10:30 AM on February 3, 2006

Here is another source saying the same thing.
posted by Alison at 10:32 AM on February 3, 2006

It has been a strange winter, hasn't it?

My SO's daffodils (in Northern California) started coming up in late December! By the end of January they were in full bloom. (Waaay outta wack for this east coast raised gal!)

The heavy rains of late beat them all down, so they're just about done anyway.

Daffodils, like crocuses (sp?) are fairly hardy. Given the winter we've had, they should be ok.
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 12:06 PM on February 3, 2006

It's the same in the lower midwest where I am. Tree buds are swelling, crocuses and daffs poking out, tulips and daylilies making a tentative appearance. I'm concerned a hard February will take much of the color out of spring, when it finally arrives in truth.

In other news, global warming is a myth. Right?

Right?
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 2:01 PM on February 3, 2006

Pretty much what everyone else is saying. I had this happen in Baltimore about 7 year ago - about half the daffodils came up really early, had kind of straggly blooms, got snowed on, disappeared, and then the other half came up at the regular time. The next year it was as if nothing had happened.
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:48 AM on February 4, 2006