bulbs

[Larry]

I planted some bulbs last year. After the flowers are gone how long should I wait before I cut down the leaves and stems?

[SugarChile]

You can cut down the stems anytime after the flowers are finished--in fact, it's a good idea to do it, so the plant won't put any energy into making seeds.

You should not cut back the leaves at all. You should wait until they turn brown and wither before removing them. As a new gardener, this used to bother me, but I soon learned there are lots of other things to do and turn my attention to, and before you know it, it will be high summer and the foliage will be gone.

You can plant perennials around the bulbs, so that their foliage will help distract from the fading bulb foliage.

Cheers, Sue

[Brian]

[Brian]

[Tom Randy]

You can cut the flower STEM(s) off after the flower dies. I let leaves stay until they are showing signs of yellowing/browning. Then I cut them off.

Tom

[Gardñ]

Tom Randy in news: [e-mail]:

option: harvest the seeds, let the foliage do what it wants (or shove it down, if you need to hide it)