Should I wait until the leaves turn brown to cut down my daffodils. I heard that this will make the bulb grow larger and produce more flowers next spring.
There is one other option for tulips and daffodils and that is the method most public flower beds use, just dig the bulbs up and throw them away, then replant new bulbs in the fall. Following this method, one does not have to wait while the leaves of tulips and daffodils slowly turn brown and die. This method produces a much prettier and decorative flower bed. The throw away and replant is the method that I use, as I can quickly replace the vacant areas with blooming flowers. I realize that this method is not as popular with home owners as it is commercially, I guess due to the little amount of money it requires to purchase new bulbs, but in northern latitudes with short growing seasons, it enables one to have an attractive flower bed that displays much more continuous color. - Millet
Hi Millet, I was just reading your post about digging up and throwing away your daffodils and tulips each year. If you were my nieghbour I would be happy to take them off your hands and reuse them in my own garden. There are likely to be many people in your area that would appreciate your generosity if you passed them on. :) cheers Micki
One can have an attractive flower bed with continuous bloom and colour in northern latitudes by leaving the bulbs in place to naturalize (which daffodils do well here) and simply by interplanting them with a very wide variety of perennials - the foliage of the perennials hides the yellowing bulb foliage, mimimizing bulb foliage that has to be removed after it yellows.
I plant mine close to other perennials. Once when they are finished blooming I braid the leaves to contain them and mimimize the sprawling ugliness of them. Usually by then the other perennials that they are next to grow in and hide the braided clump. Out of sight out of mind. DD
