What to Do With Daffodils After They're Done Blooming?

Let the Daffodil Foliage Die Back Naturally

• Allowing daffodil leaves to die back to the ground naturally is the surest method for getting blooms from the same planting year after year. However, the yellowing leaves can be unsightly in the garden. Plant perennials and late spring or summer annuals among the daffodil bulbs to hide the yellowing foliage. Japanese painted ferns are a good choice because they start their full growth just when daffodils are finishing their growth cycle.

Wrap the Daffodil Leaves Into Bundles

• When daffodil foliage begins to yellow and get floppy, you can wrap the leaves into bundles (sometimes called "dollies"). Gather all but one or two of each plant's leaves and fold in half. Wrap and tie the remaining one or two leaves around the folded bundle. Once the leaves have completely yellowed or browned, cut the bundle off at the base. This method gives a tidier look than letting the leaves die back naturally but is slightly less successful at encouraging the plants to bloom the following year.

Cut the Daffodil Leaves Back

• Leaving the bulbs in the ground but cutting the the leaves back when they begin to get floppy and yellow gives a tidy look to the garden. It does not, however, guarantee that those bulbs will bloom the following year. The plants will produce new leaves the next spring, but expect a reduced number of flowers. Wait until the leaves have begun to yellow, and cut the leaves down to 1 inch above the surface of the soil.

Treat Daffodils as Annuals

• In small plantings such as containers, it may be necessary to treat daffodils as annuals. Making space for summer flowering plants in a small garden may also require treating daffodils as annuals. To do this, pull or dig up the bulbs as soon as the plants have stopped flowering. Compost the leaves and bulbs. Plant new daffodil bulbs in the fall anytime before the first hard freeze. Fall-planted daffodils will bloom the following spring.