If you are trying to find out how to get rid of daffodils in your lawn then this is the article for you.
After all, as beautiful as their vibrant blooms are, they are not for everyone.
Maybe you have moved into a new house and discovered masses of unwanted daffodils, or maybe you just want to change things up and plant something new.
If you want to remove daffodils, or any bulbs from your lawn, then it is essential you do it properly as they are incredibly hardy plants.
So let’s find out how…
How To Get Rid Of Daffodils In Your Lawn
If you have unwanted daffodils in your lawn then the most reliable way to remove them permanently is to dig them up. You want to do this after they bloom in the spring by making sure the surrounding soil is moist and then using a hand shovel or garden fork to dig around the bulbs and loosen them up so you can remove the bulbs and all of their roots.
Method #1: Dig Them Up
The most common and reliable way to get rid of daffodils in your garden is to dig them up.
It might be a bit more time-consuming, but if you do it properly then it is the only failsafe way to prevent daffodils from growing back each year.
And when I say do it properly, you must make sure you remove not only the bulb but all parts of the plant including all of the roots.
The best time to dig up daffodils is after they bloom in the spring. Then:
- Moisten the surrounding soil, or do it on a day where there has been some rainfall that has made the area around the daffodils wet.
- If you can, dig a small space and work out how deep the bulbs are buried.
- Try and dig around six inches wider than the bulb to enable you to get to all the roots as well as the bulb.
- Using either a hand shovel or garden fork dig deeply enough to loosen the soil around the bulbs.
- Work the handle of the shovel or fork to loosen the bulb.
- Grab the shoots and gently move it from side to side and it should fairly easily come out of the ground.
- Rinse and repeat until all of your unwanted daffodils have been removed.
You can then either replant the bulbs where you want or give them to someone else.
If you are going to dispose of them, then put them in a black plastic sack and leave them for a year before composting.
You should never discard unwanted bulbs in the countryside.
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Method #2: Mow Them Down
If you have a lot of unwanted daffodils blooming in your lawn then one quick way to remove them is to simply mow them down after they have bloomed in the spring.
Of course, this doesn’t remove the bulbs, but it does remove the foliage that feeds the bulbs, depriving them of their energy source.
Method #3: Kill Them Off
If you deprive daffodils of the elements they need to flower, they will naturally die.
Like some of us humans, daffodils love to bask in the sun and they also like moist but well-drained soil.
Without both of these, they are unlikely to bloom.
You can cover unwanted daffodils with black plastic to stop them from getting both sun and water. Or you can overwater the bulbs which could cause root rot.
However, there are problems with both of these approaches.
Even though the lack of sun might stop the daffodil from blooming, the bulb will still be in the ground and there is no guarantee it won’t flower the following year.
Overwatering could cause the daffodil bulb to suffer from root rot, and it could spread to surrounding plants in your garden and affect them as well.
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Method #4: Use Herbicides
As a last resort, you can use herbicides to kill your daffodils.
Spray a glyphosate-based herbicide directly onto the foliage of your daffodil. It will travel down to the bulb and kill the roots.
To give the herbicide a better chance of success spray it onto the daffodil on a dry and hot day.
Again there are problems associated with this approach.
Firstly daffodils are so hardy that it is likely it won’t work immediately, in fact, it could take two or three growing seasons to completely kill the bulbs.
Secondly, herbicides contain chemicals that are not environmentally friendly. As diligent as you might be there is always the possibility that these chemicals could drift onto other plants and kill them as well.
When Should I Cut My Lawn With Daffodils?
Above we have outlined how you can try and get rid of your daffodils by mowing them down (It sounds very sinister when I write it like that).
However, if you don’t want to kill off your daffodils and want to know when is safe to mow your lawn without harming the plant, the answer is simple.
Wait at least six weeks after your daffodils have completed flowering before you mow your lawn.
This will allow the foliage to die off completely.
The foliage of the daffodil plays a vital role in ensuring the daffodil can bloom the following year.
It feeds the bulb with energy and nutrients ready to grow again the next season.
If you cut your lawn too early you will kill off the foliage and prevent the daffodil from blooming.
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Final Thoughts
Quite simply the most certain way to get rid of daffodils in your lawn is by digging the bulbs up.
And you need to make sure you are very thorough when you do so and get rid of not just the bulb, but all parts of the daffodil.
There are a few other methods you can try, but all the time the bulb remains in the soil then there is the chance daffodils will bloom again. They are incredibly hardy plants!
Digging them up may take a bit more time initially but it will most likely save you time in the long run.
Good luck!