I know that you let the foliage on bulb plants turn brown before cutting them
back, in order to put strength back into the bulbs.
What about other plants, for instance the Oriental Poppy? Soon after the blooms
are gone, the foliage looks like hell and starts "dying" back. Should these
plants be allowed to look bad for awhile, or is it OK to cut them back when the
blooms are gone? Any other plants that have to prepare theirselves for next
year before you can do anything to them?

Any plants that have storage organs need to have the foliage remain on the
plant until they die back on their own.


TOM KAN PA wrote in message
...
I know that you let the foliage on bulb plants turn brown before cutting
them
back, in order to put strength back into the bulbs.
What about other plants, for instance the Oriental Poppy? Soon after the
blooms
are gone, the foliage looks like hell and starts "dying" back. Should
these
plants be allowed to look bad for awhile, or is it OK to cut them back
when the
blooms are gone? Any other plants that have to prepare theirselves for
next
year before you can do anything to them?

c (TOM KAN PA) expounded:

I know that you let the foliage on bulb plants turn brown before cutting them
back, in order to put strength back into the bulbs.
What about other plants, for instance the Oriental Poppy? Soon after the blooms
are gone, the foliage looks like hell and starts "dying" back. Should these
plants be allowed to look bad for awhile, or is it OK to cut them back when the
blooms are gone? Any other plants that have to prepare theirselves for next
year before you can do anything to them?


You can remove the foliage from oriental poppies when it starts to
look brown, they put out new foliage, at least for me, in the late
summer. Daylilies need to have the old, brown foliage removed to look
neat, but not the green. Basically, if it's green, leave it be. If
it's browned, then go ahead and remove it. Right now my crocus are
laying all over the place, just starting to turn brown, I'll pull the
dead stuff in a week or so. Looks like hell, but it's needed for
flowers next year.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
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