Daffodil de-heading

[louise5754]

Hi. It's the first time I've grown daffodils. They started growing in November and now have all died. They look horrid. Do you cut just below the head or right down to the bulb? Thanks x

just the head. It is to stop them carrying on to produce seed, and to let the plant withdraw starch back down the stem to the bulb to store energy for next year.

When it has finished flowering it need 6 weeks with leaves to make sure it flowers again next year so leave until June

A sprinkling of bone meal around the plants wouldn’t come amiss either.

Ok great thank you. All new to me. So you leave the stem?

Yes, leave the stem. It all helps strengthen the bulb for next year.

I've seen people tie them up. Why is this? Just to make them look neater?

My gran told me to bend them over at the stalk? Is not the right thing?

I was going to be doing it today, so thanks you, OP, for the great timing of your thread. I didn't grow my daffodils, I inherited them with the house and have zero clues on gardening.

Thanks for your reply. If we bend the stalk will it be ok for next year?

When do we untie them?

I'm no expert but I believe it's recommended NOT to bend .Or tie.

Breaks the stalk so that it can't withdraw starch back down the stem .

But I doubt you'll have ruined them for next year if you have bent/tied .
Feeding ,bone meal or rose food good idea .

Don't tie them up. I know they look a mess but you need to leave the foliage as it is so that it absorbs the light which is stored in the bulbs to make the plants grow and flower next year. Remove foliage six weeks after the end of flowering.

Can I leave the snipped off heads on the soil to rot and fertilise the soil? I don't have all my bins yet because my council take forever and year to do anything.

Oops - stored as energy in the bulbs...

yes, dehead just below flower.
give it a feed (all purpose plant food will do)
leave for 6-8 weeks if you can before mowing/cutting the foliage away.

Gah - science bit explained properly ^^

Deadheads - fork them in a bit? But I don't see why not - organic matter usually good.

Oh don't bend or tie just cut off the flower head?

louise Deffo no tying or bending. And apols for my first post - as others explained correctly you leave the foliage so the bulbs absorb starch (NOT light ) from it to grow well next year.

Ok just leave the stem? Ta. They do look such a mess though.

I've written to more posts in the gardening section if anyone can help ta x