Repotting guide

When & how to repot Angel's Tears Daffodil (Narcissus triandrus)

Also called Angel's tears daffodil, Triandrus daffodil, Angel's tears.

More about angel's tears daffodil

About Angel's Tears Daffodil

Narcissus triandrus · also called Angel's tears daffodil, Triandrus daffodil · flowering

Narcissus triandrus is a delicate, small-growing daffodil native to the Iberian Peninsula and north-west France, typically found on rocky hillsides and open scrub. Each stem carries two to six nodding, cream to pale-yellow flowers with reflexed perianth segments and a neat cup-shaped corona, giving a distinctive pendant appearance. It prefers a sunny, sharply drained site and should be planted in a sheltered rock garden or bulb frame where drainage is impeccable; do not let the bulbs sit in wet soil during summer dormancy. All Narcissus species are toxic to cats and dogs.

Mature size: 15–25 cm tall in flower, forming slowly expanding clumps of 10–20 cm spread over several years.

Watch for — Basal rot (Fusarium oxysporum): A common fungal disease that causes the basal plate of the bulb to turn brown and collapse; buy certified disease-free stock, avoid waterlogged soil, and do not replant in the same spot for several years after an outbreak.

How to tell angel's tears daffodil needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For angel's tears daffodil, watch for these signs:

Flowering has tailed off year on year and the clump has become congested and overcrowded.
Lots of leaf and few flowers — a classic sign that angel's tears daffodil bulbs or tubers need lifting and dividing.
Bulbs visibly bursting the pot or pushing each other to the surface.
It is the natural dormancy window (foliage yellowed and died back) — the only safe time to lift and split.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot angel's tears daffodil

Lift and divide every 3–4 years once clumps congest. Rather than a true repot, angel's tears daffodil is lifted and divided once the clump congests and flowering drops off. Small clump-forming deciduous bulb with narrow, semi-erect grey-green leaves and slender multi-flowered stems in early to mid-spring..

What size pot to step angel's tears daffodil up to

Pot size matters less than depth and spacing here. When you replant angel's tears daffodil, set the bulbs or tubers at the correct depth (a rough guide: two to three times their own height of soil over the top) and space them so they are not touching. A wide, shallow pot suits a clump better than a tall narrow one.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot angel's tears daffodil

The only safe window is dormancy: wait until the foliage has yellowed and died back naturally, lift and divide then, and replant before or at the start of the next growing season. Disturbing angel's tears daffodil in full growth or flower sets it back badly.

Step-by-step: repotting angel's tears daffodil

Wait for dormancy. Let angel's tears daffodil foliage yellow and die back completely. Lifting while it is in growth wastes the energy it is storing for next year.
Lift carefully. Loosen the soil well away from the bulbs/tubers with a fork and ease the whole clump out without spearing them.
Separate the offsets. Gently pull the clump apart into individual bulbs or tubers. Keep only firm, healthy, blemish-free ones.
Replant at the right depth. Reset them in fresh sharply drained, lean sandy or gritty soil at the correct depth and spacing — not touching — so each has room to bulk up.
Water in and rest. Water once to settle them, then keep on the dry side until growth resumes. Do not feed until leaves are actively growing.

Aftercare

After replanting angel's tears daffodil, keep the soil barely moist — not wet — until shoots appear; bulbs and tubers rot in cold, saturated soil. Once leaves are growing strongly, resume normal watering. Hold off feeding until the plant is in active growth again.

The right soil mix for angel's tears daffodil

Angel's Tears Daffodil wants sharply drained, lean sandy or gritty soil. Prefers a poor, gritty soil with low organic content; enrich only modestly with leaf mould as excessive fertility promotes leafy growth at the expense of flowers and increases rot risk. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting angel's tears daffodil — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot angel's tears daffodil?

Lift and divide every 3–4 years once clumps congest for angel's tears daffodil. Angel's Tears Daffodil is lifted and divided, not "repotted". Every 3–4 years, once the foliage has died back and it is dormant, lift the clump, separate the offsets, and replant at the correct depth in sharply drained, lean sandy or gritty soil. Crowding, not pot size, is what reduces flowering over time.

What size pot does angel's tears daffodil need?

When is the best time of year to repot angel's tears daffodil?

Do you "repot" angel's tears daffodil, or lift and divide it?

You lift and divide it. Angel's Tears Daffodil grows from bulbs or tubers, so instead of repotting you wait for dormancy, lift the congested clump, separate the healthy offsets, and replant them at the right depth and spacing. Doing this every 3–4 years restores flowering.

Should you fertilise angel's tears daffodil after repotting?

Hold off feeding angel's tears daffodil until it is in active growth again. Fresh soil already carries enough nutrients to get it re-established, and feeding disturbed roots too soon does more harm than good.