Will Cutting Flowers Affect Next Year's Growth?

Will Cutting Flowers Affect Next Year's Growth?

Question:

If I use my tulips as cut flowers for a vase, will this affect the next year's flowering?

Sheila from Ontario, Canada

Answer:

Sheila,

Here is how to get the most out of your tulips each year:

When you go to cut your tulips to display them in a vase, remove only the stems with the flowers. The leaves of the tulip should be left in the ground intact so that they can complete the bloom cycle naturally. At the end of the bloom cycle, the foliage will turn yellow and brown and die back. Until then, the leaves will continue to produce food, which the bulbs will then store over winter for next year's blooms.

Make sure you continue to water any flowers and remaining foliage you don't cut for indoor display, so they don't succumb to heat or drought and end up wilting early. Early wilting will shorten the natural bloom cycle and can have a negative effect on next year's production. Just water them regularly, letting the soil dry out between watering. Once the petals fall and the foliage starts to die back naturally, you can back off on the watering. When the foliage dies back completely you can trim away any unsightly foliage.

Ellen