How to Care for Spring Bulbs After Bloom for Better Returns Next Year

Even when not blooming, bulbs need care to perform well next season.

Remove spent flowers of large-flowered bulbs (tulips, daffodils) as soon as they fade. This channels energy into bulb and offset formation rather than seed production. Allow smaller bulbs (muscari, puschkinia) to set seed so they self-sow and form larger drifts.

Never remove green foliage. The leaves nourish the bulb and next year’s flower buds, which form in summer. Cut or pull leaves only after they yellow. Don’t braid leaves—it reduces sunlight and hinders growth. It’s safe to mow crocus and snowdrop foliage in lawns if you wait at least six weeks after blooming.

Major bulbs need fertilizer at the right times. Work high-phosphorus fertilizer (rock phosphate or superphosphate) into planting holes. Avoid bonemeal where digging animals are a problem. Thereafter, bulbs need nitrogen. Apply balanced fertilizer in early spring when shoots emerge and again after flowering to fuel foliage and bulb growth. Or use a slow-release bulb booster in fall.

Bulb foliage may emerge during warm winter spells—don’t panic. Foliage and bulbs usually withstand freezing temperatures unharmed. Flowers suffer only if brittle stems break or temperature changes are too abrupt.

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