Daffodils

[Yorkie580]

The daffs in our garden are starting to wither. Should we cut them back or will they sort themselves out? If I need to cut them back, how much to I cut off?

[smurfchops]

You can snip off the heads, but leave the stems until they go yellowy brown, then just gently pull them out. If they don't come out easily, leave them for a bit longer. They look messy but apparently all the strength goes back into the bulb for next year this way. Someone correct me if I am wrong :)

[chasbo]

correct judiewudie! - but you can cut the stems down to ground level. This is to stop the plant using its energy to make seed. The important thing is to leave the leaves to die down naturally ( at least 10 weeks)

[Thunderbird+]

Yes I agree with judie, let them die down naturally otherwise next year they may come up but minus flowers, this applies wheather they are in a flower bed or grass area.

[smudge]

Scroll down for some more useful info: Here

[Robinia]

Yes do take the dead heads off your daffs just below the 'bump' under the flower.
can I just warn those with sensitive skin or small children that fresh daffodil sap can be an irritant. I'm not trying to 'nanny' you but they can cause blisters & I wear my gloves to handle them. :o)

[WendyS]

Don't they start to look sad once they've finished blooming? I just pull the heads off mine and leave the leaves to die down until they're limp enough to be pulled out without yanking up the actual bulb. But if I don't have anything I need to plant immediately around them I sometimes just lay the leaves flat on the soil and pile up the earth immediately surrounding them until they're covered, just to prevent things looking untidy.

[faraday]

Nobody has mentioned removing the daffodils to another (unused) part of the garden and heeling them in. That's what I do - I want to prepare the ground vacated by the daffodils for my summer bedding plants.