Have you heard about deadheading? It is removing the dead flowers from the plans to promote new growth. All you need is a simple pair of pruners. If you are looking for inspiration to make your home garden attractive, reach out to Curb Wise. We will help you create your perfect garden space through informational tips, blogs, and DIY ideas. Check out the full list here on what you need to know before deadheading.

A Brief on Deadheading

Deadheading is continuously trimming away the dead heads of flowers to promote the development of new flower buds. It will help you keep your garden space appealing during the blooming season and throughout the year. In a regular bloom cycle, a flower tends to wither away, and the plant starts to produce a new seed head. At this stage, the plant devotes its energy entirely to the developing seeds. As you deadhead the flower, you enable the plant to refocus on new flower production.

Deadheading works great on both perennial and annual flowering plants. A few examples are marigold, zinnia, geranium, coreopsis, yarrow, foxglove, petunia, begonia, and columbine. Certain flowering plants will not produce more blooms even after deadheading, as they are designed for flowering only once annually. A classic example of one such plant is the peonies. However, deadheading is encouraged on these plants as well as it helps in devoting more energy to the other parts of the plant like foliage and roots.

If you own plants like berries, it is best not to deadhead them. Plants like hydrangea form beautiful sculptures in various shapes as their flowers dry during the winter. Moreover, the dead flower heads protect the new buds from frost. The list of plants that you should not deadhead is mentioned below.

• Eryngium
• Echinacea
• Aster
• Veronicastrum
• Sedum
• Teasel
• Echinops
• Helenium

Steps Involved in Deadheading Flowers

Deadheading flowers is a very easy task that anybody can perform without help or guidance. The steps involved in deadheading flowers are:

1. Check the plant’s base for dry petals. These are signs that there are dying flowers in the plant. Identify the flowers that are dead.
2. Look for a node (a bump where the stem produces new branches or leaves) or leaf on the flower’s stem. While deadheading, ensure you cut the flower at one-fourth of an inch from the node or leaf.
3. Mark the spot and pinch it. You can either use pruners, snip off the flower, pinch the stem, and cut it. Specific plants like rosemary, roses, and sage have stems that are woody. These require powerful equipment like a lopper to remove the flower from the plant.
4. Deadhead flowers will act as good fertilizers for the entire plant. You can add these detached portions to the base of the plant as it will help produce new roots, foliage, or flowers.

The Takeaway
Try keeping your plant fertilized and flowers deadheaded at all times. You can expect an attractive garden during all seasons if you effectively follow the steps mentioned above.