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 > >