Daffodils at an end

I have always left my daffodils after dead heading for 6 weeks, as I am led to believe that the bulbs are made stronger if you wait this long before cutting them down to ground level. Does anyone have any experience of cutting them down earlier, and whether you do end up with a poor display next year. I have had a great day in the garden today despite the rain and the garden looks great except for in my opinion the daffodil stalks (if thats what you call them), they have been battered by the wind over the last couple of days and look really untidy. would it really be that bad if I cut them down now or should I just put up with them and wait another 4 weeks or so, which would then give me the 6 weeks since dead heading.

 

Years ago I cut the stalks and greenery off and ended up with leaf growth and no flowers.After two years of "blind" Daffs I dug the lot out and planted afresh.
I just put up with them now and anyway..I can't see 'em among the other growth in my borders :rolleyes:

[ 21. May 2006, 05:19 PM: Message edited by: Paladin ]

 

Thanks Paladin, guess that answers that question then, I will leave well alone. This is why I love this site, its so much better than reading a book, you get to find out true experiences rather than someones opinion of what should happen.

 

Put up with them sharon, if you want flowers next year.
I tend to move them to another area and plant them in clumps for cut flowers next year. Then in the late summer/autumn plant fresh bulbs.

 

Does this also apply to tulips folks, Mrs DAG has gone round the garden with a samuri-sword and beheaded all the tulips and after this recent wind as you say Sharon they look awful?

 

I have my bulbs amongst shrubs and do not pull them out, but I do dead head and I do a kind of half trim tidy up just cutting the brown edges off which makes thm erect again and keeps them off the grass and out of the way.

I still got late tulips and daffs despite the wind, its the rain thats depressing me - never stops here and after a week in Greece its all too much!

 

Agree with everyone else. Dead head to stop seed forming and thus weakening the plant. Leaves have to be left as it is after flowering that the leaves absorb energy from the sun to photosynthesise into food which is then stored in the bulbs. No leaves now means no flowers next spring. It was once the done thing to tie the leaves in knots, presumably as a tidier option. That was daft as it looked worse and prevented the leaves from doing their job.

Some people pull tulips up after flowering, store them and replant them later. I just can't be bothered, but they don't like me anyway.

 

Hornbeam I am confused, what does not like you people or tulips? Have to say I find you extremely helpful, so hope its the tulips you are on about.

Some tulips do not like me, I bought some called "roccoco" and they are a load of ***** but good tried tested ones give me good pleasure.

 

Hi Waco

What I mean is that tulips don't like me. In other words - I can't grow them. They do ok for the spring following planting - then I never see them again. Clear now?

 

planting bulbs in containers like colanders, lifting and storing out of sight when they need to get on with the photosynthesis, but aren't very nice, is a tip I learned from one customer. The main thing is to let them do what they need to, once you've taken off the flowering stems, and leave 6-8 weeks. If you pull gently, when they're ready, they'll come out from the bulb easily. Any resistance - leave them a bit longer!

 

Yes Dendy thats just what I do have a tug and see. Hornbeam, don't know what to say if they do OK in spring then something must be happening between then , summer and re planting, a real puzzle.

 

With respect to Tulips, I am currently reading Christopher Lloyd's Flower garden - a very beautiful and informative book. In it he says :-

"If [Tulips are] treated as spring bedding, to be followed by summer annuals or bedders, tulips must often be lifted while still green. Do not replant them, but dry off on racks in an airy shed. When the tops are quite sere [ie withered and dried] detatch them from the bulbs and grade these into those that look large enough to flower next year and those that do not. If you have space in your garden. the latter can be lined out, in Autumn, to grow on. In this way, you will soon build up your Tulip stock materially"

 

Intersting thought Peter - especially as MR waco has just made ma a nursery flower bed, just wish it was dry enough to plant it up. I know the plants would not mind the wet, but my bones would!