Narcissus and Daffodils

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Description  Daffodils Photos

Name: Tazetta narcissus or daffodils
Scientific Name: Narcissus
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Soil: It does not require any soil to grow these beautiful fragrant plants, though planting them in soil can help them to regain strength for the next flowering cycle .
Sun: The warmth from the sun helps the flower to develop.
Water: Often, people force these plants in a shallow dish of water.
Fertilizer: Very little fertilizer is required though it helps to give them a few doses of fertilizer during the flowering period so the plant is not totally depleted of energy.
Care:So little care is needed. When necessary, you only need to add water.
Tips:  Because these plants usually are forced in just pebbles and water; it takes more than a year for the plant to recover and be able to flower again. Therefore, a lot of people simply discard the plant after blooming. In my opinion, it is such a waste. Once the flowers have died, simply cut off the flower stems and plant the plants outside in the yard. The green leaves can continue getting all the energy and strength needed for the next flower period. It can be forced again the next year if needed. Plant grows better and produce more flowers if planted in soil rather than forced in water.

Description:

Even though people tend to think narcissus if a different species than daffodil because narcissus is often been referred as a group of flowers that we forced in water rather than planted in the garden, they are essentially same. Narcissus is just the proper name. There are essentially hundreds of varieties of daffodils out there, each with its own characteristics and flavors, I can only name a few that I have successfully planted. One group I particularly interesting is the Tazetta Daffodils . It is a group of flowers that we often called ¡°paperwhite narcissus¡±.

In China, the planting of narcissus is an art. They often carve the bulb and force the plant to come out in various pre-designed shapes. A friend of mine shared her secret with me: in order to prevent the narcissus from growing too tall, put it under the full sun. Weak sun light tends to result in longer leaves.

  1. Double Daffodil ¡°Erlicheer¡± ¨C beautiful white rose-like double petals with nice fragrance. It can be planted out door with very little care. It can also be forced though it might take a bit longer than regular ziva.
  2. Chinese Sacred Lily ¨C the flowers have pure white five petals surrounding the yellow cup in the center. Unlike the regular paper-white we usually grow, its fragrance is wonderful. Because of its fragrance, it is highly cherished in Chinese culture during New Year.
  3. Constantinople ¨C similar to Chinese Sacred Lily, but with double petals.
Ziva ¨C the cheapest and the most common paper-white that can be find in stores around. It is easiest to force, but its smell is kind of musky and some people find it somewhat unpleasant.

 

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