Monty Don has laid bare an essential task for tulips in May as it ensures their energy goes ‘into forming new bulbs’. The BBC star has described a crucial task this month if gardeners want their blooms to reappear and says that May is the best time to deadhead the flower.
“If you have tulips growing in borders, deadhead them once they are past their best,” the gardening expert and guru urged. “This will stop the development of seeds so that all the energy goes into forming new bulbs for next year’s flowers.
“The best way to deadhead them is simply to snap off the spent flowers with the growing seed pod using your fingers. Do not cut back the stem or any of the foliage as this will all contribute to the growing bulbs as they slowly die back.”
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The Royal Horticultural Society claims on its own website tulips “do not need pruning or training”. “Simply remove the withered stems and foliage in summer once they have turned straw-coloured,” it recommends UK garden…
