TOW N.H.Do in May - Garden

johngrimshaw@tiscali.co.uk johngrimshaw@tiscali.co.uk
Tue, 04 May 2004 09:37:02 PDT
I cannot cite a publication on the benefits of leaving bulbs to seed, but
empirical testing and observation will bear it out. A private correspondent
calls deadheading an old wives' story, and to my mind it is what I call a
'Gardener's Boy' job, invented by head gardeners to keep idle hands busy,
but not strictly necessary.

I should have said that in commercial cultivation of, e.g. tulips, the
flowers are removed promptly to stimulate the plant to complete growth and
die back quickly, so that the bulbs can be lifted, graded, packed etc in
time to be on sale in early autumn. No doubt a larger bulb could be achieved
by a more leisurely approach and letting the flower fall naturally, etc, but
this could add a couple of commercially-unaffordable weeks to the cycle.

John Grimshaw


Dr John M. Grimshaw
Garden Manager, Colesbourne Gardens

Gardens Cottage
Colesbourne
Nr Cheltenham
Gloucestershire GL53 9NP
Website: http://www.colesbournegardens.org.uk/
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rand Nicholson" <writserv@nbnet.nb.ca>
To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 1:24 PM
Subject: Re: [pbs] TOW N.H.Do in May - Garden


> Dear John:
>
> Really? Are there studies on this? I am sure that I am not the only one
here that has been deadheading their bulbs faithfully each season, simply
because it is part of the the accepted lore and advice that has been passed
on as gospel for generations. As an intrinsically lazy gardener, I am more
than interested in this statement. I have been told (and please correct this
if necessary) that most annual and dormancy prone plants, in general,
consider their job done after flowering.
>
> Rand Nicholson
>
>


More information about the pbs mailing list