Daffodil Leaves Cut Off?

[Ann]

I've popped inside from gardening to ask the gardening experts if I can cut the leaves down from my daffodils and tulips, they look such a mess now.

I know you are supposed to leave them 6 - 8 weeks so the goodness goes back into the bulb for next year but this year they were so late flowering, it will be July before I can do it, so I can't get the bedding plants in easily and can't bear the garden to be in such a mess any longer!

Has anyone else ignored this advice this year and cut them off early? Thanks!

[boxtops]

We've not cut ours off yet, but we fold them in half and pop a rubber band round them. At least they are tidy while the bulb gets the nourishment, and you can plant more easily in between them.

[Robinia]

Take a chance and cut them off if you really can't leave them...personally I think tied daffodils look worse than when they're left to die down and it restricts the flow of nutrients back into the bulb.

[Ann]

I used to do that Boxy but on all the gardening programmes it says not to tie them, bend them over or put an elastic band round the stem as the goodness has to travel from tips of leaves to bulbs.

http://www.blog.allaboutdaffodils.com/2009/07/daffodil-leaves-should-they-be-cuttied.html

I know I should leave them ...... but I'm fed up with them :( Just wondered what others are doing this year.

[daisya]

Know what you mean Ann ours are the same. We've always tied them in a loose "knot" the leaves themselves, never done any harm as far as I know and at least it looks tidier than being all straggly.

[heathfield]

I know of someone who would dig a small shallow trench in an out-of the way place in the garden, dig up the daffs and tulips, then lay them down with just the bulbs in the trench and cover them (the bulbs) with earth. Once the leaves had died back, he'd lift the bulbs and store them ready for planting for next season. Worked a treat.

[megfitz]

I'm working my way around my garden chopping off the daffodil leaves L ike you Ann, I have bedding plants suffering as they've been waiting so long to be planted out and look untidy, however I'd leave the Tulips for another week or two.

[megfitz]

Sorry it's the daffodil leaves that look untidy, not the bedding plants . oops!!

[Ann]

Great idea Heathfield, it's just finding a spare patch of earth "out of sight" to do this! I haven't got anywhere. I bet Monty Don and the like do this in their enormous gardens but us mere mortals have only small gardens filled to capacity! ;)