Post-flowering care for spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips is time-sensitive and determines the success of next year’s bloom. After the vibrant display, the plant enters a crucial phase focused on replenishing its underground energy reserves. The bulb must absorb and store enough carbohydrates to survive dormancy and produce a flower bud for the following spring. Successfully managing this post-bloom period ensures the perennial return of your favorite spring color.
Removing Spent Blooms
The first step in post-bloom care is removing the withered flower head, a practice known as deadheading. Deadheading prevents the plant from diverting energy into seed production, which is a high-effort process. Once the petals drop, a swollen, green seed pod often remains, signaling the plant’s instinct to reproduce.
Use clean snips or your fingers to remove the spent flower and the developing seed pod just below the bloom. Leave the flower stalk intact, only removing the head, as the stem still contains green tissue contributing to the bulb’s energy reserves. Deadheading is particularly impactful for tulips, as it significantly aids in redirecting stored energy back to the bulb for future performance.
Allowing Foliage to Die Back Naturally
The most important step in caring for spring bulbs is leaving the green foliage untouched until it has completely withered. The leaves act as solar panels, conducting photosynthesis to manufacture carbohydrates, or sugars. These sugars are then transported down into the bulb, which uses them to form the flower bud for the next spring.
Removing the foliage while it is still green starves the bulb, resulting in reduced vigor, smaller blooms, or a complete failure to flower the following season, sometimes called “daffodil blindness.” The leaves should remain for approximately six to eight weeks after the flowers have faded. They are finished working when they have turned entirely yellow or straw-brown and pull away easily from the ground.
Since yellowing leaves can appear untidy, gardeners often look for ways to camouflage them. Avoid tying or braiding the foliage, as this significantly reduces the leaf surface area exposed to sunlight and limits photosynthesis. Instead, consider planting annuals or later-emerging perennials like hostas or daylilies around the bulbs to hide the dying foliage.
Preparing Bulbs for Dormancy and Next Season
Once the foliage has died back completely and been removed, the bulb enters its dormant phase. To support energy storage, a light application of fertilizer can be beneficial right as the blooms fade or while the foliage is still green. Use a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus, and high-potassium fertilizer (e.g., 5-10-5) to promote root and flower formation rather than excessive leaf growth.
The decision to lift the bulbs or leave them in the ground depends largely on the flower type. Daffodils generally naturalize well and can be left undisturbed until overcrowding causes a decline in flowering. Tulips, especially modern hybrids, are less reliable perennializers and often perform best when treated as annuals or lifted yearly. If lifting tulips, wait until the foliage dies back, then dig up the bulbs, clean off the soil, and store them in a cool, dark, dry, and well-ventilated space until replanting in the autumn.