Deadheading is the practice of removing spent flowers from plants. The removal of spent flowers encourages the growth of new flowers, as the plant doesn't have to keep sparing energy for the spent flower. It is of special use in the case of annuals, some of which may only flower once if not deadheaded. It also tidies the appearance of the plant once the flowers begin dying.
Not all plants need deadheading or will be improved by this practice. Do your research on the plant type first, or experiment and see what happens. Annuals and tender perennials tend to work best for the promotion of a longer flowering season when deadheaded.
Deadheading flowers[edit | edit source]
In order to get repeated flowering from flowering plants, remove the spent flowers either by hand or cutting with pruning snips or clean scissors. When cutting off the spend flowers, usually some of the flower stem should be taken with the flower.
You may find that some flowers can be plucked using your fingers, such as pelargoniums and marigolds. The benefit of this is that it is likely faster.
Tips[edit | edit source]
- Ensure that the snips, scissors, secateurs or trimmers used to deadhead the flowers are clean before use.
- Some flowerheads are interesting and tidy enough to leave in place, especially to provide some interest in the garden during winter.
