What do I do with dead/dying spring bulbs?

I lift mine, dry then store in shed x

I take mine out of the containers complete with leaves, roots and soil then put them next to my shed on the ground until the leaves go brown. Next remove the soil and cut off the leaves and roots. Then I store them hangi g in the shed either in an old stocking or paper bag. Bobs your Uncle, replant in th Autumn.

My tiny garden has 10 window boxes and pots. Spring bulbs are planted deeply and once withered I cut back the leaves leaving bulbs to sleep over the winter and put summer bedding on top.
That's what I've been doing today.
Summer bedding is removed late Autumn and bulbs reappear in February.
Only problem is the dull spaces over winter but don't think I could cram winter stuff in as well.

I thought that it was important to leave the leaves to die back, so that this feeds the bulb; but am interested in the idea that this does not have to happen in the place where they are planted, but they can be lifted and dried off elsewhere. May give this a go.

We leave them in the ground for a while then lift them.For a container, lift them when they have stopped flowering , brush off soil/compost and keep in the shed.Replant them in Autumn, and leave container in the shed until early Spring then bring out ( probably in Feb depending on weather.)

lucky is right in that the leaves convert sunlight to make food for the bulbs the following year. I leave mine in the ground until the foliage is 'dead' enough to come away easily from the bulb. They always come up the following year. I have, in the past, lifted them after the foliage has died and stored them in old tights, with a knot between each bulb!

Wait for the leaves to die or until you can't stand them flopping any longer. Remove dead leaves and leave the bulbs alone. They'll happily stay in the pot, sleep through winter and give you lovely flowers again next spring. They'll also increase naturally so you'll get more flowers every year.

I leave mine to die back till the leav s can easily be pulled off. I don't dig the bulbs out, they seem happy to stay put and reappear the following year.

I leave mine in pots to grow again next winter. I tend to buy more every Autumn as I can just not resist the temptation of new varieties, but I do keep them in ordinary black pots that can then fit inside nicer containers to go on show in rotation in spring.

The bulbs that have been in their pots for several seasons have increased well, and eventually they can be lifted and divided if wanted.

I do agree that pots and containers make for easier gardening, and leaving the bulbs in pots means I do not have to replant in the autumn.

Thank you !!!!! I knew I could rely on gransnetters

I look forward to another lovely display next year, but will increase the pots/bulbs as I am growing in confidence now :D

I have bulbs in pots which I put on the patio. I have been taking them out of the pots to store elsewhere so I can use the pots for something else. However I cannot seem to store them without the bulbs going manky.
I wonder if I would be better off leaving them in their pots at the back of a border. (I tend to have rather too many pots on my patio.)

I have lifted them out of the pots and let them dry off (don't cut off the leaves) then store them somewhere dry and planted them around the garden. Sometimes I buy new bulbs for the pots, last year I couldn't do this.
In the spring we have an ever-increasing colourful display of daffodils, tulips (only a few so far) and hyacinths in the borders.

I do the same with primroses that have been in pots, plant them around in the borders after they have finished flowering.

you can'[t have too many pots on a patio Nelliemoser
Well, unless you can't move or find somewhere to sit!

What you ought to make sure is that you deadhead the flower stalks - nip off the seed pod - as soon as they fade, or all the energy will go into making seeds and not go back into the bulb.

Do you feed the pots at any time?

I deadhead and leave the leaves until I can stand it no longer.

I have hundreds of spring bulbs in my front and back and hundreds more in pots. Far to many to lift and replant etc. So what I do is take a clump and create a small turned over ponytail (a loop) and pop an elastic band over each clump. They look quite tidy . This enables me to get on with planting my summer bedding. Within a few weeks the clumps will just easily come away in your hand leaving the bulbs safely in place for next spring.

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Jalima1108 One summer I counted over 40.

Nelliemoser - that looks gorgeous. That's the kind of thing I am hoping to build up to eventually.

Looks lovely Nelliemoser
(lots of watering!)

I see that there is room to sit and admire them - and a watering can

Gillybob that was what my mum used to do, it allows the goodness(?) sap (?) whatever to flow back into the bulb for next year as I understand.

Does leaving the leaves in place on bulbs apply to bluebells? My bluebells are dead and I really want to rip up the ugly, slimy leaves - somebody told me that it is very hard to kill a bluebell and they always come back however mean you treat them - is this true?

I too have lots of bluebells and would really like them to be lovely again next year.