- 1). Spread 2 to 4 lbs. of bulb fertilizer over every 100 square feet of a full-sun, well-drained bed before planting. Turn the fertilizer into the top 6 inches of the soil, using a spade.
- 2). Plant each bulb so that its top sits at a depth equal to twice the bulb's diameter. Space narcissus bulbs 3 inches apart for small bulbs or up to 7 inches apart for large bulbs. Sow in clusters of five to seven bulbs, spacing the clusters 8 to 12 inches apart.
- 3). Water the bed thoroughly after planting, moistening the soil to a 6-inch depth. Water once weekly if the soil feels dry during the fall and spring months.
- 4). Spread a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch over the planting bed in fall when the ground begins to freeze. Replenish the mulch each fall to maintain the 3- to 4-inch depth.
- 5). Remove all but 1 inch of the mulch in the spring, when new growth appears. The remaining mulch prevents weed growth and helps retain moisture in the soil.
- 6). Cut of the flower heads from the narcissus plants when the blossoms begin to wilt. Leave the foliage in place until it dies back naturally, usually six to eight weeks after bloom. Remove the dead foliage by cutting it off at its base.
- 7). Divide narcissus bulbs every three to five years. Dig up the bulbs and break them apart. Discard any shriveled or rotten bulbs. Replant the healthy bulbs at the proper spacing.
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