Daffadowndillys

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Autumn 2002, I planted about 200 daffodil bulbs down the fence at the edge of my lottie.   1st March 2003 and 1st March 2004, St David's Day, I cut the first five stems for home.   Last year we had daffodils every day of March, and their scent was quite strong.   I'm looking forward to a repeat this year.

However, there is a short stretch on this long line, where nothing has come up.    I have been puzzling over the possible reasons for this, and I doubt if I will find the answer till I dig that stretch at a later date.   Any ideas anybody???

[Palustris]

Squirrels ate them> Or a Narcissus fly laid its eggs in them Or that part of the ground is wet in Summer and they rotted. I could probably come up with more reasons still.

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Thanks for your ideas Eric:

Squirrels - got none.

Narcissus - won't know till I dig 'em up - but a distinct possibility.

Too wet - no - but.....on the other side of the fence is next-doors ducks (Indian Runners - not exotic like yours).   Next Door will frequently leave the hose pipe on all day trained onthe fibre glass pond, which will overflow.   Is there a drainage route running through that now barren stretch?   Won't know till we dig 'em up.

If you can think of any more ideas, I'd be grateful, even if we won't know till I dig 'em up.    But if I find out, I'll let you know.

[The gardener]

Have you or your neighbour panted the fence?

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

TG, no painting for many years.   Thanks for the idea though.

[Garden Manager]

Could be narcissus eelworm, a parisite which infects the bulbs and causes them to stop flowering then rot.

I have had this problem with some daffs in my garden.

Try digging a bulb up and cut it horizintally. if there is a brown ring visible then it is eel worm.  If so the area affected needs to be cleared of bulbs and the bulbs binned or burnt. Dont grow narcissus in that spot again for a few years. there is no cure for eelworm

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

Thanks Richard for your idea.   Had an internal op. two and half weeks ago, and not allowed to dig yet, but as soon as I'm allowed to, this will be priority, and it will beinteresting to see the results.   I promise to report back, but it will be quite a few days before I can.