What to do when daffodils finish flowering – with a tip from Alan Titchmarsh

In the past, people often tied daffodil stems and leaves up (sometimes with an elastic band). This is so they look tidier as they’re dying back at the end of each spring. They also cut them back prematurely, to the detriment of the plant’s health. 

“As the flowering bulbs stop blooming, control the temptation to tidy them up by cutting back or removing their leaves,” horticultural adviser Michael Thurlow tells us. “Let the foliage die back naturally, because after exhausting themselves flowering, the bulbs need their leaves (which absorb warmth, water and sunlight) to build up their strength for next spring.” 

Alan Titchmarsh also warns against interfering with daffodils too soon after flowering. On a video posted on Instagram, he acknowledges that daffodils look “sad and tatty… and make the garden look messy”. 

His method for what to do when daffodils stop flowering is, like Thurlow’s, a hands-off approach (and there’s not an elastic band in sight). 

“The easiest thing to do,” Titchmarsh says, “is – with your thumb and your finger – pinch off each of the [flowerheads] with the seed pod.” 

He explains that doing this once their yellow flowers have faded saves the plant’s energy. Plus, he adds, they don’t “look nearly so bad”. He advises gardeners to add the removed flowerheads to the compost heap. 

“Do not do what a lot of people do and tie (the leaves and stems) in a knot or put an elastic band around them” he warns.  

Instead, once the heads have been removed, he tells gardeners to “leave them to flop ‘like that’ for six weeks after flowering. That allows the sunlight to get in there and photosynthesise through the leaves, make food and send it down to the bulb for next year’s flowers.” 

Six weeks later, usually around the end of May, Titchmarsh says you can then chop the remaining daffodil leaves and stems at ground level. 

Thurlow agrees that a six-week waiting period is vital before removing daffodil foliage.  

“Feed the bulbs with liquid tomato fertiliser,” he adds. “Don’t forget to mark the spot where they’re planted with a label. You don’t want to be damaging them later on.” 

Deadheading daffodils properly, as per Titchmarsh’s advice, can also help to prevent what’s known as daffodil blindness. 

Daffodil blindness occurs when plants that have bloomed healthily for a number of years end up only growing their green foliage without their iconic yellow flowers. 

There are a number of causes of daffodil blindness, including: 

• Overcrowding 
• Pests 
• Dry soil conditions 
• Disease  
• Letting the flowers to go seed 
• Not planting bulbs deeply enough 
• Gardeners knotting leaves together after flowering 
• Mowing/removing foliage too soon after flowering

The RHS website has more information on how to control daffodil blindness.