How do I care for tulips and daffodils after they are done blooming?
by
Vje16883470
+2
I'm not sure what to do with the stems and foliage from my tulips and daffodils after they bloom. I've heard you can cut tulip foliage completely off after it is withered, but you should tie or braid the daffodil foliage and wait for it to turn brown. I just don't want a bunch of ugly, withered foliage around my trees, which is where my tulip and daffodil bulbs are. Will it harm anything to cut it all off and plan on top of them?
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
My husband says, you can but they will be weaker next year.
I have these in my yard and I do nothing. Eventually the stems go away and every year they rebloom.
The leaves should be left until they die. They are now in the process of gathering nutrients for the bulb so it can successfully overwinter and bloom again next year. If you cut the leaves and stem before they die naturally, the bulb may not even survive, let alone bloom again
Wait till the tops die down then cut them off.
Cut out the old flower stem so there is no chance of creating a seed head. This saves the bulb energy and gives it a better chance of a good flower next year. Whatever you do make sure you do not remove the foliage until it has completely withered. In this way the leaves will carry on building the energy store in the bulb and, again, give a greater chance of fine blooms next year.