The secateurs are at hand, the will to take action is palpable - but not too hasty! If you make a mistake now, you could lose your daffodils and not see them again next year.
How do I prune daffodils correctly after flowering?
After flowering, you should only cut off the spent flower stems at the base of daffodils to save energy. Only remove the leaves after they have yellowed, as they still provide nutrients to the bulb and keep pests away from other plants.
Cutting off flower stems saves energy
After the flowering period is over, daffodils try to produce seeds. Since this costs a lot of energy, it is advisable to spare you this strenuous procedure. To do this, the spent flower stems are cut off at the base.
Remove leaves later
You shouldn't be too radical when cutting:
- do not remove the leaves immediately
- for beauty reasons, if necessary cut off leaves after they have yellowed
- beforehand, onions draw nutrients from the leaves
- Leaves keep pests away from other garden plants
- do not fertilize after the leaves have dried up or been cut off
Tips & Tricks
A light application of fertilizer after cutting the flower stems replenishes the onion's nutrient reserves.
