Learning to grow daffodils indoors is a popular practice, perfect for indoor Christmas displays or to be given as gifts.

Our indoor flowering bulbs have already gone through the forcing process that allows them to flower earlier in the season, meaning planting them is somewhat different to DIY forced bulbs.

Buy any of our indoor narcissi bulbs to ensure the plant grows correctly, as using any old bulb would not do the trick. Indoor flowering bulbs have been treated specifically to recreate the cold conditions they would experience when planted in autumn.

To grow these spectacular blooms in time to be the perfect Christmas centrepiece, follow our cultivation steps.

Step 1 – Picking Your Bulbs

There are various breeds of indoor daffodil and narcissus. For example, the Narcissus ‘Paper White’ is a popular bulb, due to its attractive peony-shaped flower heads and its sweet scent. They are perfect for Christmas displays, due to it taking just 6-8 weeks to flower. However, with other indoor daffodils, this time will increase to 16-18 weeks.

Step 2 – How to Plant

To grow daffodils indoors, plant in a pot with several bulbs in each pot. For smaller pots, go with 2-3 bulbs and for bigger pots, aim for 3-5. Indoor flowers tend to make a more attractive display when planted en masse.
Aim to plant your bulbs in September to see them flower in time for Christmas.
When planting, place the bulbs in good multi-purpose compost or bulb fibre, with their tips just below the surface. Water well once planted and leave somewhere that is warm and receives a lot of sun. Indoor daffodils can grow to impressive heights, so be aware that you may need to provide support if this happens.

Step 3 – Aftercare

Avoid placing your newly planted daffodils near anything that creates a lot of heat, like radiators or fireplaces. This can make them dry out quicker, risking the chance of them dying. Keep near a window to allow them lots of natural light when the weather allows.

If the leaves of the plant appear faster than the flower buds, move your pots to a cooler place in your house until the flower heads appear. Top up with water regularly, but only when the soil in the pot feels dry to touch.

Step 4 – What To Do When Your Daffodil Dies

After the flower has bloomed, look for a dry and frost-free place so the bulb has a chance to die down. Once they have returned to their bulbous state, replant outside in a sheltered and sunny spot to see them flower the next year.

Shop our full range of Indoor Daffodils here.