do i dead head tulips and daffs?

[lyndsbob]

Hi

This may sound like a dumb question, but what should i do to my daffs and tulips, now the flowers have died / petals have fallen off.

is this the same for all bulbs?

[Nicos]

Yup- deadhead- but leave the leaves for at least 6 weeks

[Spiderling]

Hi! Feed and water them too, to help the bulbs store up energy to produce a lovely display next year. Don't cut the foliage off until it has withered though or you will not have any flowers next year. Cheers!

[IgglePiggle]

I deadhead my daffs just behind the lumpy bit (seed head) behind the flower, but not too far as the stem is hollow and lets pests/rain into the bulbs

[DaveC]

Does the same apply to my hyacinths which i grew indoors for their wonderful fragrance. The flowers have died off but the leaves are still very green

Thanks

[Alison]

You should dead head any such bulbs so that it puts energy back into the bulb for next year rather than into producing seed heads. As already said, give them a good feed too and you should get a good display next year too, unless the mice get to them anyway.

[Eyren]

Apparently nobody's told my tulips about how they should be cared for - they were in the front border when we moved in ten years ago, and are still going strong despite the fact that a) I ignore them and b) they were half dug up and replanted when I put the lavender and rosemary in there. My garden soil may not be great, but once something has toughed out the conditions long enough to establish itself, it's pretty much indestructible!

[Pumpkin Becki]

And don't be tempted to tie the leaves up so they look tidier either, they won't store energy as effectively as leaving them loose.

I believe you can 'lift' tulip bulbs once the leaves have died down, and store them until the autumn, but I never bother.