Question:
My daffodils produce foliage in spring, but no longer bloom. Why?Answer:
If the daffodils aren’t blooming, the plants weren’t able to store enough food in their bulbs in the previous year. Daffodil foliage typically persists for 4 to 6 weeks after blooming. During this 4 to 6 week period, the daffodil foliage is manufacturing food. Much of the food is transported down to the bulbs. In order to bloom, daffodils must store adequate levels of food in their bulbs. Cutting off the foliage before it has died back naturally may prevent the plants from storing adequate food in the bulbs. Allow the daffodil foliage to die completely before removing it.
Plants in partial shade in May and June may not be able to store enough food in their bulbs because of insufficient sunlight. Dig up daffodils growing in partial shade when the foliage has died back and plant the bulbs in a site that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. If given good care and favorable growing conditions, weak (non-blooming) daffodils can be encouraged to flower again.
Learn more about growing daffodils and other spring-blooming bulbs in this article: Selecting and Planting Spring-Blooming Bulbs.