Because of the cool spring this year, we were fortunate to enjoy the blooms of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and other early flowers for many weeks. In June we are left with unsightly bare flower stalks and ugly, droopy leaves. What to do?
Use a scissors or clippers to cut the spent flower stalks off just above a leaf or near the ground. This prevents the plant from using its energy to form seeds. Don’t cut the leaves. The price we pay for the beautiful flowers a few weeks ago is that the unattractive leaves must be left in place until they turn yellow or brown. The leaves are busy making food for next year’s flowers and sending energy down into the bulbs which really gave their all for this year’s show. They need to be recharged before they rest for the summer.
About late June cut the leaves off at soil level or simply lift them out of the ground with a gentle tug. Do not tie them together or braid them while you are waiting for them to die down as this prevents sunlight from reaching the leaves. If you plan to leave the spring flowering bulbs in the same location for next year, that’s all you have to do.
If you can’t stand the sight of the ragged leaves, why not set a pretty container plant in front of them in your flower bed? Or plant some flowering annuals to draw the eye elsewhere.
If you bought bulbs from the recent sale at Paine Art Center and Arboretum, plant them with the leaves intact as soon as possible, so they can continue photosynthesizing and bulb recharging. Similarly, you may transplant your own spring flowering bulb plants that have finished blooming now, but keep the leaves attached to the bulbs when planting them in their new location. Dig a wider and deeper hole than you think you need when searching for old bulbs or you will end up slicing some bulbs in the process. Be gentle and try not to damage the leaves during transplanting.
If you are not ready to transplant now, you may wait for the leaves to die down before digging up the bulbs. It is much easier to find the bulbs now, though, while the leaves are still green. If you do wait to lift them until later, brush the dirt off and store them in a cool, dry place, like a basement, until mid-October when they should be re-planted.
If you are replanting bulbs now or in fall, put a scoop of compost or a balanced fertilizer in the hole. It doesn’t pay to fertilize now if you are not lifting the bulbs. By the time the fertilizer makes its way to the roots the bulb will be dormant and unable to use it. Do make a note on next year’s calendar, however, to fertilize as soon as growth begins in spring.
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