Extension

The bright colors of spring-flowering bulbs may be fading but don’t get in a hurry to cut them back.

 

Once spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinths finish blooming, allow the foliage to turn yellow and die back. The leaves should be easily removed by just tugging on them when they have completely died back.

 

Why is it important for gardeners to leave the plants as is? Allowing the leaves to remain on the plant until they turn yellow allows the photosynthesis process in the green leaves to replenish the bulb with plenty of energy for next year’s blossoms. Removing them too early robs the plant of food needed to produce spectacular blooms. This slow die-back can help the bulbs multiply underground, which can result in more flowers next year. Cutting or mowing them too early could result in fewer flowers, or maybe none at all, next year.

 

Because the weather warms up quickly in Oklahoma, the die-back can look messy and unkempt, so keep in mind this process is to produce better, stronger blooms next season. Some gardeners may want to plant perennials or ground covers nearby to disguise the yellowing leaves.

 

In Oklahoma, most tulip bulbs are treated as annuals, meaning they are replanted every year. The high heat and humidity along with heavy clay soils make it difficult to maintain most tulips as a perennial plant in the garden. A gardener interested in a challenge could dig them up after the leaves have turned yellow, store them in a cool, dark area and then replant them in the fall.

 

Daffodils are one of our most reliable species that is perennial in Oklahoma and typically needs little care. Locating daffodils in an area such as a perennial border or shrub and groundcover area where they can be left to die back after flowering is best. Occasionally they will need to be thinned out to encourage vigorous growth and lots of blooms.