You can transplant daffodils right after they’ve finished flowering, once the foliage has turned yellow and died back, typically in late spring to early summer, or you can lift and replant or store the bulbs to plant again in fall in cooler climates.

Best timing in simple terms

  • Ideal window: Late spring to early summer, after blooms fade and the leaves have turned yellow and begun to die back.
  • Why wait for yellow leaves? The foliage needs time to feed the bulb for next year’s flowers; moving too early can mean weak or no blooms next spring.
  • Alternative timing: You can move daffodils “in the green” (while leaves are still up), but they are more likely to skip flowering the following year.
  • Fall option: If you dig and store bulbs, replant them in fall early enough that they can root before hard frosts (often late September–October in colder areas, as late as November–December in mild climates).

Quick how‑to when transplanting

  1. Wait until the foliage has yellowed and flops over naturally, then dig up the clump carefully.
  1. Lift bulbs with a fork or spade, keeping as many roots and a bit of soil as you can.
  2. Separate crowded clumps gently by hand to improve blooming next year.
  1. Replant at roughly 2–3 times the bulb’s height deep, in well‑drained soil and sun to light shade.
  1. Water after planting to settle soil, then let them go dormant.

If you’re following forum “real world” advice

Gardeners in forums often say they move daffodils almost any time from after flowering through early fall as long as the soil isn’t frozen and they can water them in, accepting that moving them while green may mean fewer or no blooms the next spring.

Think of it like a battery: the longer you leave the leaves on, the more “charge” your bulb has for next year’s show.

SEO mini‑facts for “when can you transplant daffodils”

  • Many guides highlight late spring to early summer, after foliage yellows, as the best transplant time for maximum bloom the following year.
  • Some bulb growers note you can lift daffodils year‑round, but stress that doing it while they are blooming or still very green often sacrifices the next season’s flowers.
  • Fall planting of stored bulbs is recommended widely for regions with cold winters so bulbs can root before hard freezes.

TL;DR: Wait until daffodil leaves yellow and die back, then transplant in late spring–early summer, or lift and replant them in fall—moving them too early risks losing next year’s blooms.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.