How low can I deadhead?

by Sam
(Montreal)

Some stems on my tulips are a foot long. I want to plant annuals asap so how low can I snip the head? Can I do it right above the leaves or do I have to snip right under the head?

Also Is it ok to put 6" of soil over the deadheaded tulips to plant annuals right away or should I wait till they turn brown and die down before I put soil over them?

Doug says that you should deadhead as much of the stem as you can - right down into the leaves.

He also points out that covering up the leaves before they go yellow is going to make them very unhappy. So putting 6-inches of soil over top of them isn't a great idea until after they've finished their growth cycle.

Mind you, if you're going to all the trouble of importing 6-inches of soil, you can always get more bulbs next fall.