Daffodils (and other bulbs) coming up early

[MargaretThursday]

I've not had a huge success with bulbs in my garden, but I thought I'd give it another try this year.

I planted daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops and bluebells last August to October, depending on what it said on the packet, to the correct depth.
The crocuses and snowdrops I put a thick layer of woodchips over them because it was a new area which had a lot of weeds.
The bluebells were in a flowerbed.
The daffodils joined my rather poor display of about 6 either side of the path, but I cut back the lawn for about 6" to give them a better chance of growing.

As I would expect I can see the crocuses and snowdrop shoots just peeping up.

The daffodils are in bud and ready to flower, having put the first shoots up in about November. I tried covering them with another layer of soil to discourage them, but it didn't work.
The bluebells are extensively coming up, although nowhere near flowering, but lots of greenery.

Did I do something wrong? And will the forecast freezing weather for the next fortnight kill them off?

I don't think it's you, I've seen a few daffodils well up and starting to bud in places.

And some snowdrops out, but that's not unprecedented for January. We visited an NT winter garden this morning, there was an unusual pale yellow iris reticulata in bloom.

They'll be absolutely fine. They just stop growing if it gets too cold and restart when it's less cold.

Thank you!
I really want a good display this year - to make up the time I planted 150 crocuses and got about 6 up (think I planted them a little deep!)

I was in a cold area of the country four weeks ago and daffodils were in full flower then.

I dug all my bulbs up this year to redistribute them. Is it going to be too late to plant them back out now?

They always come earlier if you plant them first year.
They will settle down next spring.

Speaking from the personal experience.;)

I have lots coming up in pots but not noticed any in the borders yet.

Someone on our local FB put a picture of a dwarf daff in their garden. That seems really early to actually be in flower now.

Can't wait for spring and seeing all the new bulbs and new growth on the shrubs bursting out.

We always replant our narcissus in a little copse near our house after they’ve flowered. They flower weeks after the new ones we plant at home.

I can see very few green shoots in our pots. We did a ‘lasagne’ so I can’t remember what is poking through

Ominous for me. I'm
In the south east, and I planted 300 daffodil bulbs and 100 tulips. No shoots at all. But we do have a very fat and smug looking squirrel scurrying about the garden.

We have to put chicken wire over our pots to stop the bastard squirrels. Have tried every other deterrent. Once the bulbs start growing, we remove it.

Ours seem to come up earlier each year. Two years ago they opened at the end of feb, got snowed on and died. Last year they started mid feb. This year they’re well out and some heads are showing (but not open). Even ones that have been there for decades are peeking early

Ive also got some I forgot to plant. I’m wondering about planting/potting them now, seeing what happens (seeing as these early ones probably won’t do well!)

Mine are starting to show but I did buy some early flowering ones in the hope of having flowers end of Jan til April.

I have one single crocus 😊 it showed up on New Year’s Day which I have decided is a good omen. Lots of leaves in all the Dutch lasagne pots, and alliums also peeking out in the raised bed. I’m also hoping for a long display. My pelargoniums are still flowering, I think there’s a chance they will pull through winter.

The squirrels feasted on the bulbs I planted before the winter - I think 3 snowflake bulbs made it. The snowdrops I moved last year are started to appear in a pot - have delayed putting them back into the ground as I'm quite convinced some Spanish bluebells came along for the ride and those buggers are not at all welcome - I pulled out about 200 bulbs last year - the stragglers are making an appearance elsewhere.

My daffs have been coming through the last fortnight, just green shoots.

Can I hijack this thread to ask a question? I bought some bulbs before Xmas and I opened the box but haven't planted them yet. If I plant them now, will they come through this year? Will they rot in the ground? Or come through next year? Or are they past their 'use by' date? Is there such a thing?

@NewspaperTaxis you can still plant them. They may come a little late but should be fine

I always try to plant a load of daffs in the green spaces near where we live (think it was 30kg last autumn).
The ones I planted last year are currently quite tall although none are currently flowering. Ones planted in previous years are just starting to push through so that bears out what a PP said.
South Mids.

Drove to my brothers on Boxing Day and the daffs were out on the grass verge on Yeovil. That's never happened before. They are always out in Jan. They are well early!

Far more likely to rot if you don’t plant them.

😩 This thread spurred me to plant 6 hyacinth bulbs I'd had in bags that were growing, but whilst outside I've been bitten on the neck & it's made my neck & face itchy!

I was at a garden centre today and was tempted to buy some snowdrops at £6.99 a pot. I resisted but I will be back next week and if they are still there, I'm going to get some.

I do have a few in the garden but I could do with adding to them as the carpet of snowdrops I imagine in my head is a long way off in reality.

Ooh @Hotafternoon , what else do they have in garden centres at the moment? I am itching to go, but worried there won’t be anything in stock. My local one doesn’t have a website 🤷🏼‍♀️

They had lots of dwarf daffs, pansies and little pots of tulips. I'm surprised I didn't buy anything in the plant line, I'm a pushover usually but next week, I'm pretty sure there will be something I won't be able to live without in the plant line. i expect to go home clutching something or other. 😆

Been to 2 garden centres this week & both had daffodils, narcissi, tulips, alliums, snow drops etc - mostly reduced too.