How to Cut Back Old Tulips

Hardy tulips (Tulipa spp.) send up fresh leaves each spring, followed by flowers that provide an explosion of color in the newly awakening garden. Although tulips only flower for a few weeks, most varieties return each year with fresh blooms. Tulips grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, depending on variety. Cutting back the old flowers and foliage properly and at the right time ensures the plants have time to store up the necessary nutrients so they can return next year.

Shears

Mulch

Cut off the old tulip blooms after the petals wilt and fall off, using sharp shears. Remove the entire swollen structure at the tip of the stem, which is where the seeds form. Leave the remainder of the stem and the foliage on the plant so they can continue to absorb sunlight and produce energy for the bulb.

Water the tulip foliage once a week or as needed so the plant receives about 1 inch of water weekly, or enough to moisten the top 6 inches of soil. Allow the leaves to yellow and die back naturally.

Trim back the old leaves and stems once they naturally yellow and die. Cut the foliage to the ground. Tulips remain dormant until growth resumes in spring, so they don't require additional watering or care after the leaves die back.

Remove the old foliage trimmings from the bed and dispose of or compost them. Old leaves left in the garden can harbor disease and pests. Cover the bed with a 2-inch layer of mulch to protect the dormant bulbs for the remainder of summer and winter.

Tulips occasionally require digging and dividing if they begin flowering poorly, usually every three years or so. Dig up and divide the bulbs after the foliage dies back and replant them promptly.

Disinfect pruning tools to prevent spreading disease by treating them with a diluted bleach solution before moving to the next plant.