Description and features of the Golden Ducat narcissus variety, planting and care

Daffodils are a common decoration for gardens and flower beds. It is impossible not to notice these bright delicate flowers. They are one of the first to bloom in spring. An unusually spectacular plant, beloved by many gardeners, is the Golden Ducat narcissus.

Description and characteristics of the variety

This variety of daffodils belongs to the double species. The name of the variety speaks very eloquently about its appearance.The flowers are large, bright, and really look like gold coins.

Their shade is bright and very rich, so they are always clearly visible in the flowerbed.

These flowers lack the distinct funnel characteristic of most daffodils. The flower is up to 10 cm in diameter, it has several layers of petals and a terry tube in the middle. The stem of this type of narcissus is 40-50 cm high. Daffodils bloom from April to May. On each peduncle, 3-4 flowers bloom in spring.

History of Golden Ducat breeding

This hybrid plant was bred in 1946 in Holland, but due to its appearance it has not lost popularity to this day.

Growing

Growing Golden Ducat flowers is not too difficult. It is accessible even to a novice gardener.

Landing dates

Narcissus bulbs are planted in open ground in September. It is important that this is done a month before the onset of cold weather. Before the first frost, the plant has time to adapt to new conditions.

Flowers take root and germinate quickly, so planting in open soil in August will lead to early germination and subsequent death of seedlings.

The landing site should be well lit. It can also be a light shadow.

It should also be taken into account that in strong winds the flowering stem may break. Therefore, the planting site must be protected from drafts.

For winter forcing, daffodil bulbs are planted in pots in August. In this case, the flowers will have to grow in greenhouse conditions.

Soil preparation

This variety grows well in light soils. If the soil is clayey, then additional sand is added to it before planting.

The soil must be pre-prepared. Before autumn planting, humus or compost is added to the soil. Fresh manure cannot be used.

Selection and storage of planting material

Daffodils are bulbous plants, so flower bulbs are planted in the ground. When choosing planting material, you need to ensure that it is free from damage and rot. The bulbs should not be soft. After digging, they are dried at a temperature of 30-35 degrees for a month.

They need to be stored in a cool, dry place until planting.

Some gardeners pre-treat the bulbs with Fitosporin or copper oxychloride, but this must be done carefully. An excess of the substance will cause the plants to become sick and bloom poorly.

Planting scheme

When planting, a sandy cushion is created under the bulb, since the Golden Ducat narcissus does not tolerate excessive humidity.

If daffodils are first planted in pots or containers, then first add a layer of drainage and then soil. They need to be planted so that the top of the bulb protrudes slightly above the surface of the ground.

The distance between planted plants should be at least 10 cm. It can be up to 15 cm if the bulbs are large. The planting hole should be twice the height of the bulb itself. The bulb is lowered into the hole and covered with earth. Then lightly press down the soil.

Overgrown bushes are planted after 4 years, when they crowd each other.

Rules of care

Narcissus is considered an unpretentious plant, but it will require additional care.

Loosening and weeding

All varieties of this flower require a little weeding and light loosening if necessary. In addition, this is a good preventive measure in pest control.

Watering

Spring watering is very important for these flowers. Daffodils do not require as much moisture as other flowers.But if the weather is very hot, then you need to water the daffodils a second time.

It is also necessary to water the plants before adding any mineral fertilizers to the soil.

Protection from pests and diseases

Among the main pests is the narcissus fly, or bulbous hoverfly. Various types of rot are also dangerous. Click beetles also cause damage to bulbous plants. To destroy the larvae of all insects, the soil is dug up in the fall and lime is added to it.

The cabbage cutworm is a butterfly whose caterpillars eat the above-ground parts of bulbous plants.

Daffodils are damaged by mole crickets and slugs. They can be removed manually.

Also, to control pests, you need to treat flowers with insecticides or pollinate with tobacco dust during the period of growth and flowering.

The gardener needs to know that weeds contribute to the spread of insect pests, so weeding is mandatory.

To combat rot, plants are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or a mixture of copper sulfate and green soap (1:10 ratio).

All types of daffodils may suffer from fusarium, a special fungal disease. With it, the bulb rots, and the planted plant lags in growth and dies. To avoid this, planting material is treated with foundationazole.

Pre-treatment of planting material with certain chemicals will help avoid many diseases.

Affected bushes should be culled periodically. Damaged plants and bulbs need to be disposed of.

Top dressing

In the spring, after the first shoots appear, it is necessary to add complex mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen to the soil where the sprouts appeared. You should not overfeed the plant, otherwise there will be an excess of green mass and flowering will be poor.

Reproduction

Reproduction is possible by seeds or bulbs. For the first method, the plant is given the opportunity to produce seeds after flowering, which will then be planted.

However, a more convenient way is to plant bulbs. To do this, the flower stalks are cut off after flowering. After the green mass dries, the bulbs are dug up and stored until autumn planting.

This variety has average frost resistance, so plants may not tolerate extreme cold.

Planting material can be prepared in this way yourself, or purchased in specialized stores and online.

Application in landscape design

In landscape design, daffodils combine well with other plants and perfectly decorate the site. The terry variety Golden Dukat is planted not only in flower beds, but also under trees. They are often used to create borders and alpine slides.

When cut, flowers tolerate transportation well. They retain their fresh appearance for a long time, so they are used not only to decorate areas, but also in bouquets.

Reviews

Evgeniy Ivanovich, 67 years old, pensioner, Kiev

The Golden Dukat variety is simply excellent. You won’t immediately understand that these are narcissists. This is an extraordinary decoration for my garden in the spring.

Larisa Ivanovna, 49 years old, housewife, Voronezh

I love daffodils and have been growing them in my flowerbed for a long time. New – Golden Dukat variety. These are very beautiful bright flowers. They have been blooming for the second year now. I am very pleased.