A Tulip flower is very beautiful but they eventually wither and fall off the plant. Petals will turn brown as they wither so you'll want to make sure that these withering plant parts aren't attached to your plant.
Tulips are treated like seasonal plants. Because of this, gardeners don't bother with trimming away the deceased parts. Usually, the flowers wilt and then the leaves will start to turn brown. If you don't plan on keeping this batch of tulip flower for the coming spring, then you can leave them to the mercies of nature.
When this is done, most plants will not revive come spring. Those that do will grow fewer blooms, shorter stalks and be generally less healthy in appearance. Even tulips that have proven time and again that they can make it without your help will exhibit this deficiency.
Tulips are not all the same. There are sub-species of tulips within the species. Some tulips, for example, will waken, bloom and sleep every spring and every winter. Domesticated tulips are products of human experimentation and wild tulips. Unlike their domesticated cousins, the wild tulip is used to harsher climates. Wild tulips are indigenous to the Central Asian Mountains.
Now, domesticated tulips evolved because of cross pollination and hybridization with the help of humans. The Cape Cod and Red Riding Hood tulips for example are just some among the many sub-species of tulips. Even though they were genetically manipulated to emulate the way wild tulips survive, they still need help to tide it over the winter.
A few days after tulip blossoms wilt, it will help a lot if you can deadhead them. You can do this by taking the tip off using your finger and thumb to pinch. You can also snip the ends off with pruning shears.
When cutting off the top, keep in mind that your target is to remove the seed container that would have grown after the bloom has wilted. Seeds that stay on with the main body of the plant will continue to use stored resources which will deplete the stored energy of the plant come winter. With enough energy to tide the seedless tulip over spring, producing healthy blooms in the spring won't be such as difficulty.
We also mentioned dead leaves and stalks. Unlike the wilted flower, the stalks and leaves don't leave something behind to consume stored energy. Aesthetically speaking, pruning or cutting away these dead plant parts will make your garden look better. Its best to cut off the stalk as close to the ground as you can.
With proper maintenance and pruning, tulips will come back year after year because they wouldn't be carrying the dead weight of seeds. During fall, the bulb grows very dense roots. Cape Cod and Red Riding Hood tulips can do this very well by themselves along with Dreamboat, Lady Diana, Toronto and Fur Elise.
Other tulip flower varieties that are considered to be long-lived are Goudstuk, Heart's Delight, Love Song and Water Lily tulips.
Birdhouses
