Tulip Care After Flowering: What to Do Next

The spectacular spring display has finished, and your tulips are starting to look a bit tired. What you do in the next few weeks significantly impacts whether those bulbs will flower again—and how well. While many Australian gardeners choose to treat tulips as annuals, proper after-care can extend bulb life in cooler regions. Either way, understanding the post-bloom phase helps you make informed decisions about your tulip care strategy.

What's Happening Inside the Bulb

To understand post-bloom care, it helps to know what's occurring within the plant. After flowering, tulips enter a crucial regeneration phase:

• Leaves continue photosynthesising, producing sugars
• Sugars are transported down to the bulb and converted to starch
• The mother bulb produces daughter bulbs (offsets)
• Next year's flower embryo forms inside the bulb
• This process takes 6-8 weeks after blooming ends

Step 1: Deadheading (Removing Spent Flowers)

As soon as petals begin dropping, remove the spent flower heads. Here's why and how:

Why Deadhead?

• Prevents energy waste on seed production
• Directs resources back to bulb regeneration
• Keeps garden looking tidy
• Reduces risk of fungal diseases on rotting petals

How to Deadhead

• Snap or cut the flower head just below where petals attach
• Leave the green stem intact—it photosynthesises
• Don't pull the stem out of the plant
• Remove fallen petals from around plants

Step 2: Continue Care During Foliage Decline

The awkward period after flowering—when foliage is yellowing but still functional—requires patience:

Watering

• Continue regular watering while leaves are green
• Gradually reduce as foliage begins yellowing
• Stop completely once leaves are fully brown/dry

Fertilising

• Apply a liquid fertiliser immediately after flowering
• Continue fortnightly feeds while foliage is green
• Use balanced or potassium-rich formulas
• Stop when foliage yellows significantly

Don't...

• Braid, tie, or bundle the foliage—reduces photosynthesis
• Cut foliage while it's still green
• Allow soil to become waterlogged
• Apply high-nitrogen fertiliser

Step 3: Removing Dead Foliage

Once foliage has turned completely yellow or brown and pulls away easily from the bulb, it can be removed:

• Gently tug leaves—they should separate easily from the bulb
• If leaves resist, wait a bit longer
• Remove all dead material from the planting area
• Don't compost if there were any signs of disease

The Big Decision: Leave In or Lift Out?

At this point, you have two choices for your tulip bulbs:

Option A: Leave Bulbs In Ground

Best for: Cool climate regions (Tasmania, Victorian highlands, ACT), well-drained soil, and Darwin Hybrid or species tulips.

Advantages:

• Less work—nature handles storage
• No risk of damaging bulbs during lifting
• Bulbs plant themselves at optimal depth through "contractile roots"

Disadvantages:

• Summer watering can rot dormant bulbs
• Can't control storage conditions
• Bulbs may be eaten by pests
• Reduces flowering each year in warm climates

Care if leaving in ground:

• Ensure summer irrigation doesn't reach bulb area
• Apply protective mulch layer
• Mark location so you don't dig into them later
• Accept that flowering may decline over years

Option B: Lift and Store Bulbs

Best for: Warm climate regions, areas with summer rainfall, gardeners wanting maximum control.

Advantages:

• Complete control over storage conditions
• Can inspect bulbs for disease/damage
• Allows proper dry dormancy period
• Can sort, discard weak bulbs, and separate offsets

Disadvantages:

• More work and time investment
• Risk of damage during lifting
• Requires proper storage space

How to Lift and Store Bulbs

Lifting

1. Wait until foliage is completely dead and dry
2. Use a garden fork to gently lift—insert well away from bulbs
3. Carefully remove soil from bulbs
4. Inspect each bulb for damage, rot, or disease
5. Discard any that are soft, mouldy, or damaged
6. Separate any offset (daughter) bulbs

Curing

1. Brush off remaining soil (don't wash bulbs)
2. Lay bulbs in a single layer in a cool, dry, shaded location
3. Allow 1-2 weeks for bulbs to cure (outer skin dries completely)
4. Good air circulation is essential

Storage

• Store in paper bags, mesh bags, or old stockings—never plastic
• Keep in cool (below 20°C), dry, dark location
• Garage shelves, garden shed, or cool pantry work well
• Check monthly for mould or rot—remove affected bulbs
• Bulbs will need refrigerating again before next season's planting

Option C: The Annual Approach

Many experienced Australian tulip growers treat bulbs as annuals:

• Enjoy the full flowering display
• Remove entire plants (bulb and all) after blooming
• Compost healthy plant material
• Use freed space for summer annuals
• Purchase fresh, properly pre-chilled bulbs each year

Why this often makes sense:

• Guaranteed large, vigorous blooms each year
• No storage hassles or failures
• Try different varieties each season
• In warm regions, saved bulbs rarely perform as well as fresh ones
• Time and effort saved often outweighs bulb cost

Container Tulip After-Care

Post-bloom care for container tulips follows similar principles with some adjustments:

• Deadhead immediately after petals drop
• Continue watering and feeding while foliage is green
• Move pots to less prominent location during ugly foliage phase
• Stop watering completely once foliage dies
• Store pots in cool, dry location (shed, under eaves)
• Consider replanting in fresh potting mix each year

Timeline Summary

• Immediately after flowering: Remove spent flower heads
• Weeks 1-6 post-flowering: Continue watering, apply liquid feed, leave foliage alone
• When foliage yellows fully: Reduce watering, stop fertilising
• When foliage is brown/dry: Remove foliage, decide on lift vs. leave
• If lifting: Cure 1-2 weeks, store in cool, dry location
• Summer: Keep dormant bulbs dry (stored or in-ground)
• Late summer: Begin refrigeration cycle for next season

Your approach to post-bloom care depends on your climate, commitment level, and goals. There's no wrong answer—whether you meticulously save every bulb or treat tulips as beautiful annuals, the spring display is worth the investment either way.