Daffodils like soil that is well drained and that has a lot of decaying organic matter in it (use your compost). It is important to have dug over the soil about a month prior to inserting the bulbs. 5. Plant the bulbs. Larger bulbs will need to be dug in deeper than smaller ones. For larger bulbs, plant to a depth of about 8 centimeter (3.1 in) and keep space between each bulb to about 8–10 centimeter (3.9 in). Smaller bulbs can be planted closer to the surface and more closely together.