Well, you have a flower garden. You want bold color all summer long because you love the look of all those flowers gently swaying in the breeze. Your plants, on the other hand, are interested in growing as fast as they can and producing seeds in order to perpetuate the species. Stop evolution by destroying your flower garden!
Deadheading removes deadheads from your annual blooms, but it does so much more: removing extra stems and growth encourages robust new growth and new blooming. It also opens up the plant to air circulation, which reduces insect and moisture problems that can cause rot or viral infections. Help your flowers by cutting off those “split ends” when the flowers start to fade!
- Don’t wait for deadhead, please. Why have a flower garden if you don’t enjoy its beauty every day? If you’re busy, go to your garden at least weekly to both enjoy and care for it. If you wait to cut off faded flowers, your plants may not feel like blooming again, so your garden won’t reach its full potential.
- Always use sharp, clean scissors or scissors to remove the head. Some of us have sharp nails… some of us sometimes can’t get a clean cut with our nails. Your scissors should be sharp and rinse them after each use. Dry them well before storing.
- If only one of your flowers is discolored, just cut it off. Cutout! All ready.
- If your plants flower in clusters, cut off the entire faded cluster about one-third of the way from the root. In other words, if your trailing snapdragons are about 16 inches long, cut off anything that isn’t about 6 inches from the root. If your daisies are 30 inches tall, cut them back to about 10 inches tall. And so.
- Haircuts are healthy! Your annual flowers are grateful to lose all that extra weight and they will come back. Be patient as it takes a week or two, but your plants will reward you.
- Give your annuals a shot of nutrition (balanced fertilizer like Miracle-Gro) when you trim their hair.
- Go to the Goodwill store, invest 50 cents in a vase, and enjoy the long-stemmed flowers before they wither. A perfect margarita on the dining room table is wonderful. Float smaller or shorter-stemmed flowers in a simple glass container. They will last several days, if you can keep the cats out of them!
- Pay attention to this advice: you need to go down directly to the plant, not just cutting the flower. Reach out and find the bottom of the flower stem, whether it be a node, a branch, or even further towards the root. Cut the withered flower there so that it blooms again faster.
You are unlikely to kill your plants with a deadhead, although they may look scruffy for a few days. Err on the cautious side until you gain experience. Pruning at the end of the season only gets your garden clean and ready for winter…it won’t flower again if it’s too late in the growing season.
For perennial growers, here are a couple of lists of plants that may benefit from dead pruning or don’t really need it. Most of these plants are perennials in Minnesota. Some perennials will flower again… others won’t, but you should still care for them as needed.
Plants That Benefit From Removing, Pinching, And Reshaping
- Aster
- bleeding heart
- Buddleia (also known as Butterfly Bush)
- Calendula (also known as calendula)
- Chrysanthemum
- coleus
- coral bells
- coreopsis
- Cosmos
- Daisies
- day lilies
- Larkspur
- Foxglove
- Gaillardia (also known as blanket flower)
- hollyhock
- Jacob’s Ladder
- lavender
- lupine
- Panties
- petunias
- roses
- Sage
- Dragon mouth
- violas
- zinnias
Plants That Don’t Require Deadheading, But Will Look Better With Care
- astilba
- bee balm
- bougainvillea
- Clematis
- carnation
- euryopsis
- Fuchsia
- Hibiscus
- hydrangea
- impatient
- Jasmine
- lantana
- Lilac
- morning glory
- Nasturtium
- Sage
- trumpet vine
- Verbena
- vineyard
- wisteria
I hope this article helps you care for your flowers so that you can get the most out of your gardening efforts.