Daffodil wilt

[Ino]

Oh my gosh, a DU gardening forum!!

This has always baffled me... when is daffodil foliage "wilted"? Must you wait until it's yellowed before trimming it off? Or is it OK to trim once it's flopped prone on the ground (but it's still green)?

Thanks!

[TygrBright]

1. Depends on what results you want next year...

As long as the foliage is still green, it is still storing energy in the bulbs for next year's blooms. Cut it, and you lose the energy it would have stored. You get smaller and fewer blooms. Once the leaves yellow, though, they're done, you can whack 'em off.

The foliage thing is why so many people interplant daffodils and day lilies. The outgoing daffodil foliage blends nicely with the incoming daylily foliage and the slow decline is much less noticeable.

informatively,
Bright

[sazemisery]

2. An octogenarian gardener I know folds her leaves

in little bundles and rubberbands them. It's funny to see all the little bundles in her yard.

[TygrBright]

3. I used to see those in Maryland, too.

Sort of pointless, really, since when they're all scrunched and folded, the leaves are exposing very little surface to the sun to collect energy for next year's bulb...

bemusedly,
Bright

[sazemisery]

4. I know...

She is quite obsessive/compulsive so I guess this is her way of order in her garden

[Ino]

5. That's what I was afraid of

I thought maybe I could get away with tidying them up sooner (sigh)