How to Get a Daffodil to Bloom

Plant daffodils in a sunny location. Daffodils require at least six hours of sunlight to bloom well. They also require soil that drains well, so amend the planting site with several inches of compost to help improve drainage.

Fertilize daffodils in the spring as new growth begins. Use just a handful of bulb fertilizer, or one low in nitrogen, such as one with a 1:3:3 or 1:4:4 N-P-K ratio. Do not get any fertilizer directly on the new, green growth. It will burn the leaves. Note that using fertilizer with too much nitrogen will cause excess green growth with few, if any, blooms.

Water daffodils in the spring when they are actively growing with about 1 inch of water per week. If your plants do in fact bloom, continue to water them while they are in bloom. Limit watering in the summer and fall when the plants are dormant, but do water them during times of drought or when you notice them wilting.

Cut back the foliage only when it browns and withers after the first hard frost in the fall. Doing so any earlier stops the daffodils prematurely from making sugar, which it will use for next year's growth and blooms. If you do not like the way the foliage looks, at least keep them intact for eight weeks after blooming so they'll get some energy to bloom the next year.

Divide daffodil bulbs just before you cut off their foliage in the fall and replant them if the garden is overcrowded. Overcrowded gardens compete for a limited supply of water and nutrients and will not bloom as well as those with ample space.