My daffadills

topic posted Tue, May 20, 2008 - 2:24 PM by  amanda
HI,I just wanted to know if i can cut them down after they are done blooming...I love them but when they are done the plant part isn't that pretty anymore..
posted by:
amanda
Kansas City
  • Re: My daffadills

    Tue, May 20, 2008 - 3:30 PM
    Amanda, you can go ahead and deadhead but don't remove any green foliage yet. The bulbs need to continue to photosynthesize so that they have enough energy to bloom next year. You can remove a leaf if it's turned at least half yellow, but it's best to leave them on as long as possible. Certainly remove anything that's totally dead. The flowerless plants may not be much to look at right now but if they produce and store enough energy you will be rewarded with spectacular blooms next year!
  • Re: My daffadills

    Tue, May 20, 2008 - 7:50 PM
    some people tie them in a knot and lay them down so they are less rangy looking, or I think even tuck them under the mulch. My goal is to grow them so thick under my fruit trees that the growing plants in the winter/spring reduce grass and other plants and the dying and dead leaves actually mulch the ground. They die off so early that they offer no significant dry season competition to the trees. Has anyone tried this with narcissus/daffodils or any other cool season growing plant? It doesn't rain here in the summer.. thus the above strategy. I'm just getting started and can't afford to buy the bulbs, but scrounge them only when I can, so no results to report yet.
    • Re: My daffadills

      Tue, May 20, 2008 - 8:11 PM
      The only problem with tying them in a knot while they're still green is that you reduce the surface area of the leaves and limit the amount of photosynthesizing they can do. If the foliage is pretty much dead though, that's definitely a good way to hide it! And yeah, leaving them dead leaves around for mulch/compost is definitely the way to go!
      • Re: My daffadills

        Tue, May 20, 2008 - 9:19 PM
        I guess that would be true if they are still photosynthesizing. I always wondered if they aren't mostly reabsorbing the resources in the leaf back into the bulb. Probably both, but maybe more photosynthesis.??? Anyway, I'm not recommending it so much as stating that some people do it.
        • Re: My daffadills

          Fri, May 23, 2008 - 8:44 AM
          Hi,
          Yes....to the above....and I have found that they seem to disappear amongst all the other foliage around this time...so it is good to interplant them with other things....daffodils are great deterents for deer and rabbits.....I just love them.
          Peace, Julie

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