What Do You Do With Tulips After They Are Done Blooming?

After Flowering

• In spring, you can cut the flower stalks back to the ground after the tulips are finished blooming. Keep the leaves, however, to allow them to die back on their own. Allowing the leaves to remain is very important, because even after the tulips finish blooming, the plants are continuing to grow and store food before becoming dormant through summer, fall and winter. During fall and winter, the tulips then begin to grow roots again in preparation for next spring's blooming period. If you don't like the look of the dying and dead leaves, you can strategically plant later-blooming annuals or perennials around the tulips to hide the foliage.

Other Care

• Tulips usually require little care, other than perhaps watering during dry spells or droughts. You can spread a layer of compost on the ground around the tulips once each year in late winter or early spring, just as the tulips are emerging. You can also spread a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of organic mulch around the tulips to help suppress weed growth, preserve soil moisture and regulate the soil temperature.

Dividing

• If you're growing larger types of tulips, you may need to dig up and divide the bulbs as they multiply and become overcrowded. When the leaves turn yellow and wither in late spring or early summer, carefully dig up the crowded bulbs using a garden spade or shovel. You can replant the bulbs right away, or you can store them through the summer to replant in the fall. Choose a dry, cool place to store the tulip bulbs, and don't keep any that look diseased or malformed. Plant these larger tulip bulbs about 6 inches deep into the soil in a sunny spot.

Warnings

• When you're dividing tulip bulbs and caring for them during the post-bloom period, be aware that the bulbs bruise easily and are susceptible to rot and other diseases when they're in wet, poorly draining soil. Also, mid- to late-season tulips usually bloom longer if you plant them in partial shade instead of in full sunlight. When you're replanting divided tulip bulbs, ensure that you space them properly to prevent rapid overcrowding. Typically, you should space tulip bulbs about 4 to 6 inches apart, planting them with the pointed end facing upward.