Daffodil Seed Cultivation: Tips On Growing Daffodil Seeds

In most gardens, daffodils reproduce from bulbs, coming up year after year. The thought of growing them from seed may seem a bit unusual, but you can do it if you've got the time and patience. Growing daffodil seeds is a very simple proposition, but turning the seed into a blooming plant can take five years or more. Learn how to propagate daffodil from seed after collecting the seeds from your garden.

Daffodil Seed Pods

Daffodil seed cultivation is a simple process, mostly requiring patience. Once the bees have pollinated your daffodil flowers, a seedpod will grow at the base of the bloom. Don't deadhead your prettiest flowers; instead, tie a piece of string around each stem to mark it for later in the season. 

In the fall when the plants are brown and brittle, the daffodil seed pods at the end of the stems hold the seeds. Shake the stems, and if you hear dried seeds rattling around inside, they're ready for harvest. 

Snap off the pods and hold them over an envelope. Shake the pods, squeezing them lightly, to allow the seeds to drop out of the pods and into the envelope.

How to Propagate Daffodil from Seed

Young daffodil plants must grow indoors for at least the first year, so knowing when to plant daffodil seeds is more a matter of when you have the time. Begin with a large tray or pot filled with fresh potting soil. Plant the seeds about 2 inches apart (5 cm.), and cover them with ½ inch (1.25 cm.) of soil. 

Place the pot where it gets at least half a day of direct sunlight, and keep it in a warm spot. Keep the potting soil moist by misting it each day. The seeds may take weeks to sprout and will look like little blades of grass or small onion sprouts when they first come up. 

Grow the daffodil plants until the bulblets underground start to grow big enough to almost touch, then dig them up and replant them in larger homes. Dig up and replant the bulbs each time they grow large enough. It will take two to five years before you see the first bloom from your seed-grown daffodils.