Narcissus "Tahiti" - description, planting and care

Narcissus Tahiti: photos

Daffodils are bulbous perennials of the Amaryllis family, extremely widespread in Russia and neighboring states. The variety "Tahiti" has earned great popularity due to its cheerful color and early flowering. Despite the extensive distribution area, indicating the unpretentious nature of the plant, this species needs to follow certain recommendations regarding cultivation and care. In this article, we will tell you how to properly take care of this beautiful spring flower so that it blooms abundantly and pleases the eye for as long as possible.

Narcissus of Tahiti: description

The Tahiti variety is known for its golden color, which makes the spring gardens seem to be even more filled with sunshine. In the conditions of the northern regions of Russia, with their often cloudy spring months, this cheerful flower, which can cheer up even in inclement weather, is especially appreciated by gardeners. Daffodils not only look beautiful in garden plots, but in cut form take a worthy place in flower arrangements.

At the same time, being in a vase of water, they can remain fresh for a whole week, which further adds to their popularity.
The stems of daffodils of the "Tahiti" variety grow up to 0.4 m, the inflorescences can reach 10 cm in diameter. The petals, painted in orange-yellow tones, seem to be covered with freckles - small dark red specks. This detail gives the classic, in general, daffodil a little exotic look and makes it one of the most beloved varieties of domestic gardeners.

Flowering period of Tahiti daffodil

The "Tahiti" daffodil blooms quite early - in April or a little later, one of the first to appear in the gardens of central Russia. The flowering period lasts about 3 weeks, all this time the flower emits a pleasant aroma, which does not fade over time, unlike the petals of daffodil. At the end of flowering, seed pods with three valves are formed, containing a large number of seeds. Unfortunately, they quickly lose their germination ability. Removing them should be done very carefully, after wrapping the plant with a piece of bandage or gauze. This will allow not to harm either the plant or the seeds, which will subsequently be able to give life to a new generation of daffodils of the "Tahiti" variety.

Instructions for growing daffodil "Tahiti"

The cultivation of the "Tahiti" daffodil requires adherence to certain agrotechnical recommendations. It should be borne in mind that daffodils are light-loving plants, so the place for their planting should be well lit. In addition, it is desirable to have a shelter from the through wind - hedges, bushes, fence or building wall can become them. Like many garden crops, the "Tahiti" daffodil does not tolerate the stagnation of moisture in the soil, so you need to take care of the drainage of the site ahead of time.
As for the composition and quality of the soil, daffodils prefer light, fertile soils. The acidity level should be neutral or close to it.

Creating favorable conditions on the site will allow daffodils to delight the eye with lush and abundant flowering.

When to plant a Tahiti daffodil

Gardeners in the southern regions often plant "Tahiti" daffodils in the fall, leaving the seed in the ground for the whole winter.In the north, it is better not to risk it and start planting daffodils in May or early June. It is necessary to exclude the possibility of a return of night frosts, the soil must be sufficiently warm - at least +15 degrees. Long-term weather forecasts will help you choose the time to disembark your daffodils.

Algorithm of actions

The successful adaptation of Tahiti daffodils largely depends on how well they are planted in the ground. Below is a step-by-step algorithm of actions:

1) The soil must be prepared in advance - fertilize. Moreover, manure is not suitable for these purposes, since its presence in the soil can provoke diseases of daffodils and the invasion of harmful insects that will destroy flower plantings. The best feeding will be humus, or compost. They should be introduced no later than 14 days before planting daffodils - the soil should settle, and the substances should be evenly distributed in it.

2) For transplanting daffodils, carefully selected bulbs are used. The quality of the planting material directly affects the lifespan of the plant and the abundance of its flowering. To prevent the development of infectious diseases, the bulbs should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate - about a couple of hours before planting in the soil. Also shown is a short soaking of planting material in solutions stimulating the growth of the root system - for example, in "Epin extra".

3) Prepare planting holes 12 to 20 cm deep for large and medium-sized bulbs and up to 10 cm for smaller bulbs.

4) After completing the procedure for planting the bulbs, it is recommended to cover the soil in the beds with a layer of mulch 5 cm thick. This may be a layer of peat or humus. The next layer of mulch is formed from sawdust, needles and fallen leaves, its thickness is more - about 20 cm. Mulching protects the soil from drying out and overheating in summer, from freezing in the cold, and also retains moisture in the soil and reduces the amount of weeding.

As you can see, the rules for planting daffodils are not complicated. Following them, even a novice gardener can easily plant these cheerful spring flowers on his site.

Tahiti daffodil care rules

Daffodils love not only sunlight, but also water, so this culture needs regular watering. During dry periods, this is especially important to prevent the top and middle layers of the soil from drying out. For irrigation, use settled water. On average, watering daffodils 2-3 times a week is sufficient. In the intervals between watering procedures, it is recommended to loosen the soil around the plants in order to enrich it with oxygen and prevent the formation of a dense crust in the upper layers of the soil.

It is necessary to periodically check the condition of the daffodils planted on the site and promptly remove wilted flowers and foliage with traces of damage.

Narcissus of the "Tahiti" variety grows safely in one place for 6 years, after which it needs a transplant.

Potash and nitrogen fertilizers are suitable as top dressing, which must be applied after planting the bulbs in the soil and during the flowering process.

The use of the "Tahiti" narcissus

Bright and sunny daffodil "Tahiti" is widely used in landscape design. As a rule, they are used for decorative design of rock gardens, rockeries, ribbons, borders. This variety looks very advantageous in the vicinity of white snowdrops and blue-lilac mouse muscari hyacinths, creating at the same time delicate and contrasting combinations of shades. It is also recommended to place "Tahiti" daffodils in combination with geraniums, hosts, cuffs. Small (5-7 copies each) homogeneous compositions of "Tahiti" daffodils also look impressive, with the help of which you can form bright golden spots on the territory of the garden area.

In addition to its undoubted decorative qualities, the "Tahiti" daffodil variety is also known for its medicinal properties, which are used in folk medicine.

For these purposes, the bulbs are harvested in the middle of summer, washed with water and dried for a month in the air, under a roof or shed. Store the bulbs in plastic containers. Flowers can be harvested during their flowering period, in late spring, and then dried for 14 days in a well-ventilated area. When dry, their shelf life is 1 year.

Both bulbs and narcissus flowers are raw materials for the preparation of medicinal infusions and decoctions. The range of their application is quite wide - with their help they treat skin diseases and mastitis, stop inflammatory processes, and reduce neoplasms. Crushed parts of daffodils, wrapped with a bandage or gauze, are recommended to be applied to boils and even carbuncles - this will speed up the process of their maturation and further healing. Oil based on raw narcissus serves as a remedy for the treatment of hemorrhoidal diseases, relieving sciatica pain, joint pain in the knee area.