I’m a gardening whizz – when to deadhead and cut back your tulips to ensure next year’s blooms are even better
GARDENING expert Polly Wilkinson has shared her top tips on looking after tulips, including when to deadhead the flowers to make sure they come back looking even better next year.
Polly, who owns an award-winning garden design studio, told that it's important to keep the flower and stem attached when you deadhead them.
"Deadhead the tulip and the stem attached so energy goes into the bulb, not the seed," she explained.
It's also vital that you leave the bulbs in the ground.
"If you want them to return and be strong flowers next year, let the leaves yellow and die back," she said.
"Think of the bulb as a battery and the leaves as a solar panel - gathering energy from the sun to feed the bulb for next year."
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You'll have to remove the leaves at some point, but bide your time when it comes to this job.
"Only remove the leaves when they come away from the plant with no resistance (usually four to six weeks after flowering)," she advised.
Polly's other top tulip tips included planting them in "sunny spots with well-drained soil".
"Be sure the bulbs get plenty of water four weeks before flowering," she added.
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"Not enough water = short stubby tulips."
And don't plant tulips until November at the very earliest.
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If you try and do it before then, the flowers will be susceptible to Tulip Fire.
This fungal disease causes brown spots and makes the leaves look twisted and withered - as if they've been scorched by fire.
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