How do you store tulip bulbs after the leaves die back?Īfter 6-8 weeks have passed and/or the leaves have all died back to the ground, gently pull out the bulbs. Leaves can be trimmed back at ground level for most tulips or can be pulled up with the bulbs if the tulip bulbs are to be stored for a few months before re-planting in the fall. The leaves should be yellow or brown before you cut them off. Should I remove dead leaves?Īllow the foliage to die back naturally, and then remove the dead leaves. By leaving the foliage and stems, you’re also allowing nutrients to sink back into the bulb from the leaves themselves so they can bloom again the next season. Leaving the leaves on for 4-6 weeks after blooming lets the plant absorb sunlight and produce energy which is stored below ground in the new tulip bulbs that are growing off the main bulb that was originally planted. Instead of removing the foliage after you cut off the dead flower head, leave the foliage on the plant. Here are some nice fertilizer options for your tulip bulbs after they bloom: Feeding the tulips can be especially helpful if tulip bulbs are to be lifted and stored or for perennializing tulip varieties, which naturalize an area on their own. Offsets are baby tulip bulbs that grow around the main mother bulb in the weeks after blooming.

Should you fertilize tulips right after they bloom?Īpplying a high-quality natural bulb fertilizer right after blooming can help the plant thrive in its development of offsets.

By trimming off the flower head, the plant can focus its energy on producing bulb offsets below the ground (this is how tulips multiply true-to-form). This process is known as deadheading.ĭeadheading the tulips right after the flowers die is crucial because it prevents the plants from putting their energy into seed development.

When your tulips’ lives are coming to a wilting end, don’t rip them out! Instead, only remove the dead flowers and stems.

Resources What do I do with wilted tulip flowers?

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