Blue corn flowers... Cutting back after blooms
david883
8 years ago
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years agodavid883
8 years agoRelated Discussions
cutting back bulbs after blooming
Comments (5)I don't cut back the stems until they go brown, and am generally rewarded the following year (this year some of my tulips and daffodils look sad, probably because of a late frost). I "hide" the stems by planting my bulbs in with my perennials as Steve suggested; daylilies work great, as they come up at just the right time. And I agree with not braiding or tying up the foliage. I was very disappointed to see this suggestion recently in my favorite gardening magazine. Al-thanks for suggesting cutting away the flowers, I've never done that and it certainly makes sense. Vivian...See MoreDo bulbs survive after cut flowers?
Comments (8)A general rule: Leaves provide energy to a plant, and flower and seed production take energy from a plant. So if you take away the flower, you are actually strengthening the bulb. That's why tulips and hyacinths are so full and strong the first year after planting - the bulb farms cut down the flower stem so that the flower will not sap the bulb's resources. The year after, when sold, the bulb is supercharged. You may have to take a fair amount of lily leaves to get a proper stem on a cut lily flower. Try to take the minimum. They will come back, but flower production might be diminished next year if you take too much foliage. Asiatic lilies seem stronger and more able to handle the stress of cutting than the Orientals. Don't the bearded iris blooms stain your tablecloth when they drop their flowers? I never cut bearded iris for that reason....See MoreCutting Back Flower Bud
Comments (19)Deadheading flowers in the garden does save a bit of energy that the plant would otherwise use to "slough off" the dead or dying flowers... though, I also feel that if you're feeding your plants well, and taking good care of them, the energy expended is a lot less, and more easily recovered from. I grow mainly indoors, and I allow the scapes, or stalks, to dry up and become unsightly before I cut them off. I have cut off scapes that haven't been completely dry, and I don't like to see the plant "bleed" like that. I think it's the perfect opportunity for insects to enter the bulb, and an unnecessary wound that the bulb must heal from. If I were to cut flowers, I think I might dust the cut wound with an anti-fungal powder just to be on the safe side. I don't think there's a wrong or right answer to cutting the stalk... though, I do think that proper care of the bulbs in the first place is the way to go to avoid having to cut anything off. I'm not convinced you're doing the bulb a favor by "clipping its wings". After all, it did produce buds and then flowers, so it must have a store of decent energy. Just thinking out loud, so to speak... I don't know what the correct answer is. I just know how I handle things. If my bulbs want to flower, I let them. If they want to rest, I let them sleep. Some bulbs are just not very strong, and never will be. Notice how some bulbs shrink or fade in spite of all the care they're given... I think some bulbs are simply destined to expire early. They may be of poor genetic quality. I'm no expert... just a happy gardener! :-)...See MoreWhat's your next perennial cut flower right after Narcissus?
Comments (17)This is a great thread, even for those of us who just grow our own cutting flowers. What do you think of chives? Their color is subtle, but they are prolific perennials. I have yet to get garlic chives started, but they are white, and must be pretty. The chive flowers don't give off an onion-y smell that I have noticed. Oh, I see you do have them listed. This one is a bit informal, and draws up a lot of water when cut, but it is also prolific: lunaria aka silver dollar plant. It comes in white and, most commonly, a rich pink-purple shade. I have seen in a a very dark magenta, in other gardens. It is biennial, which means you need to start them two years in a row, and then you will have them forever, if you let even a few go to seed. Bridal veil spirea is coming in to bloom now, as the very last daffodils are fading. I second the wood hyacinth and bleeding heart suggestions. Interesting, how most of the suggestions for now generally have subtle colors. Doronicum breaks that pattern, as do many of the tulips, if you decide to go that route. I have some burgundy and yellow bi-color primroses, as well as a few solid yellow double primroses that have 6-7 inch stems, and last up to a week in water. They have a nice long bloom season too. These started almost three weeks ago here in mid-atlantic 7a and they will continue another few weeks, depending on the heat. They look nice in small bouquets with buttercups and japanese maple sprigs with baby leaves. A lush, long-lasting green that I discovered this year comes from my overwintered parsnips! Siberian irises look like they are coming soon. I wonder if a clear plastic cage over each plant would hurry them along. That said, I do not find that they last well at all as cuts, though some catalogs say they do. I started growing camassia last year. I see they are starting to bloom now. Not very impressive, I must say, but maybe there are showier varieties. I bought the cheapest, species type. Apparently they naturalize well where they are happy. Good luck! Hepatica...See Moredavid883
8 years agoaftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
8 years agoJust a word of warning, deadheading is a must or you'll have them all over the place. I love this plant too but it is one of the thugs. I had one plant, neglected to deadhead and now I have patches of it all over the garden.
Annettedavid883
8 years ago
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
8 years ago
north53 Z2b MB
8 years agoaftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
8 years agodavid883
8 years agofrogged
8 years agodonna_in_sask
8 years agoa2zmom_Z6_NJ
8 years agodiggerdee zone 6 CT
8 years ago
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