"Valkyrie" wrote in message news:1052836220.488385@yasure...
"clipster" wrote in message
...
Question whether it is better to let daffs rot after cutting off the spent
flowers or just simply cutting back the entire plant? I have been dead
heading daffs for years and am not impressed with any spectacular regrowth
in the following year. Would simply cutting them back harm them?
\

Don't cut the leaves off till they have died all the way back. I always had
very good luck with reblooming. In fact my daffs and tulips were always
spectacular and most even multiplied each year. I dead headed the flower
after it bloomed and then I foliar fed the plant from before the bud opened
till the leaves started to yellow.

It would also help to know where you are located. Some areas just aren't
right for many types of bulbs.

Val


http://photos.yahoo.com/valkyriemi

Above is true, up to a point. The leaves provide food for the bulb to
regenerate itself and create bulblets, in the case of daffodils or
tulips. However, if you are not having good results with reblooming,
there could be a few causes: such as, not enough sun. Flowering
bulbs need a good six hours of sunlight a day. Also, are you using a
fertilizer on them? If so, stop, unless you are sure it's not too
heavy on nitrogen, which will give you more leaf than flower. The
third thing is, how old are the bulbs, or more accurately, when is the
last time they were divided? Daffodils should be divided every five
years or so. They will reward you with bigger, better blooms in a
couple of years.