Daffodil Dutch Master
Plant of the week for 14 September 2007
There are many hundreds of varieties of Daffodils in cultivation and if one includes those raised by amateur breeders the number runs into thousands. They come in an ever greater ranger of shapes, colours and colour combinations. Many are raised for show purposes only to develop blooms of absolute perfection and there is no greater accolade than being awarded ‘Best bloom of the show’ . However, for garden planting different criteria apply. The plants need to be free flowering with long lasting blooms that that do not hang down, stand well above strong upright foliage and are resistant to inclement weather conditions.
It is quite interesting that with all the different types available the yellow trumpet Daffodils remain by far the most popular. For many decades King Alfred has been the best known yellow Daffodil. However, it has long been superseded by much better varieties and today very few commercial growers continue its cultivation. Surprisingly one still sees it widely advertised and sometimes offered as 'King Alfred type'. This can only mean any variety of yellow Daffodils of which there are dozens in cultivation so one has really no idea what is being supplied.
One of the very best yellow trumpets widely available is the variety Dutch Master. It has good sized flowers produced in abundance which look at you and do not hang down. Strong stemmed it stands up well and is resistant to adverse weather conditions. It has the advantage of being priced at an economical rate and can therefore be planted in larger quantities. Trials have shown that it performs well over many years but for continued success make sure you plant deeply i.e. 12 to 15cm (5 to 6in.) of soil on top of the bulb. This ensures that the roots can draw on sufficient moisture to bulk up the bulbs for the next season.
[Photo: Daffodil Dutch Master] Buy Dutch Master
Visit the Trumpet Daffodil section of our on-line shop.
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