How to Grow Narcissus Daffodils So They Will Bloom Next Year

Select a location that gets direct sunlight at least five hours a day and has well-draining soil. Daffodils are susceptible to rot when grown in poorly drained locations.

Test the soil pH to make sure the soil is slightly acidic -- between 6.0 and 6.75 pH. If your soil is alkaline, add garden sulfur according to package directions to reduce the soil pH. You can purchase a soil test kit at your local garden center or home store.

Amend the soil with compost or planting mix to improve the soil. In addition, work a high-phosphorous granular fertilizer or bulb food into the soil at planting time, at the rate described on the package. This will add essential nutrients to encourage strong blooming.

Plant the bulbs deep -- three times as deep as the bulb's height -- and make sure they receive an inch of water a week for three weeks after planting. This is the period when they are establishing a root system before the ground freezes. Bulbs need about six weeks in the fall to form a good root system before the ground freezes.

Feed established bulbs in early spring with bulb fertilizer, following package directions. Make sure the fertilizer is not a high-nitrogen fertilizer as that will encourage foliage rather than flowers. If the daffodils are near a lawn, make sure that lawn fertilizer is not approaching the daffodils.

Snap the top of the flower off the stem after the flower has completed blooming. This prevents seeds from forming, which improves the next year's flowering by diverting the energy it takes to create seeds, back to the roots. It also improves the appearance.

Leave the foliage on the plant until it turns brown and withers. As the foliage declines, the bulb is growing for next year's flowering. The fertilizer that was applied earlier is now enriching the bulb.