Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Narcissus 'Ice Follies' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Ice Follies daffodil, large-cupped daffodil, white cream daffodil (Narcissus 'Ice Follies').

More about narcissus 'ice follies'

About Narcissus 'Ice Follies'

Narcissus 'Ice Follies' · also called Ice Follies daffodil, large-cupped daffodil · flowering

Narcissus 'Ice Follies' is a vigorous large-cupped daffodil whose flat, frilled cup opens pale lemon then fades to creamy white against white petals. Plant bulbs in autumn in sun or light shade and well-drained soil for robust 40 cm blooms in mid-spring. One of the best naturalisers, it bulks up quickly into reliable, weather-resistant drifts in borders and grass.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Blindness from crowding: Fast-multiplying clumps eventually crowd themselves into leaf-only growth. Lift and divide every three to four years to restore flowering.

The reasons narcissus 'ice follies' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming narcissus 'ice follies' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding narcissus 'ice follies' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get narcissus 'ice follies' to flower

Maximise sun. Give narcissus 'ice follies' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for narcissus 'ice follies' and get the feeding right with the narcissus 'ice follies' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Narcissus 'Ice Follies' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full narcissus 'ice follies' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Narcissus 'Ice Follies' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my narcissus 'ice follies' flower?

Narcissus 'Ice Follies' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make narcissus 'ice follies' bloom?

Give narcissus 'ice follies' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does narcissus 'ice follies' normally bloom?