Deadheading
Remove the faded flowers from the spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips,
daffodils, hyacinths as they finish flowering. The bulbs will try to set
seeds and will become exhausted if the faded blooms are left on the plant.
Some
flowers like the tulip, may harbor harmful fungus and this fungus can be
transmitted to the bulb. Remove the spent flower and 1-2 inches of stem. The
remaining leaves and stem will provide the necessary nourishment for the bulb.
For gladiolas, after the flower has faded, remove the spike that contains the
flower, but leave the leaves. For hyacinths, you can remove the tiny individual
flowers on the stem by running your fingers from the base of the stem, up through
the flower. Leave the stem intact.
Some bulbs multiply from the self-sown seeds produced each year. Snowdrops are
an example. Remove the blooms on snowdrops only if you do not want them to multiply.
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