label : Daffodil flowers, cause blasting to daffodil flowers, Daffodil, flowers and gardens.Daffodil flowers,especially the double forms,are susceptible to a problem called blasting. The picture above illustrates this problem. Blasting in daffodils refers to a deformed flower bud that basically withers on the stem instead of developing normally. Sometimes the flower bud will open but will look dry and papery. Late blooming narcissus types are most commonly prone to blasting.
When you first see a blasted daffodil flower you may think that the bulb is diseased but the cause is usually related to weather or culture. Tulip,crocus and Dutch iris flowers can also suffer from blasting.
Daffodil blasting can be caused by planting bulbs too late or storing them at high temperatures. If you planted your bulbs a little too late and the flowers didn't develop or ended up deformed,they will probably do fine in years to come.
The most common cause of narcissus blasting is weather. Late frosts or early hot temperatures can be to blame as well as a dry spell followed by a rainy period(or vice versa).If the weather is dry make sure to water your daffodils during their growing season.Since most double flowered daffodils are late blooming,if the weather turns hot early in your area large flowered double daffodils such as Golden Ducat for example, should be avoided.
Even though large double daffodils can be risky in warm spring areas the double tazetta types such as Sir Winston Churchill,are resistant. Cheerfulness,a tazetta and poeticus cross, is a small flowered double that does well in my Zone 7 garden but I have read that it consistently blasts from Zone 8 southward. For the coastal south stick with single flowered jonquilla and tazetta daffodils for late season blooming.Blasting is not as much of an issue in northern gardens although it can happen in a warm dry spring or after a late freeze. Very late blooming poeticus daffodils are usually great for Zones 3-6 and rarely exhibit blasting. Most large flowered doubles will do well in northern springs but may need to be staked to keep the heavy flowers from falling over after spring rains.
Although the narcissus jonquilla is a late bloomer that rarely suffers from blasting the blasted bud in my picture is a jonquil. This flower was ruined by a week of flooding rains.When the problem is weather related it can happen to any daffodil flower. Only the flower in the picture was affected. The later blooms of those jonquil bulbs were fine.
You can't do anything about the weather but to avoid blasting in your late season daffodils remember these tips:
- Plant early.
- Water during dry periods.
- Choose the best daffodil types for your climate.
- Avoid large flowering double daffodils in the south.
The daffodil blooming season is just about over in most of North America. My next few posts will concentrate on what to do after the flowers are gone.
from : allaboutdaffodils.com
