Deadheading doesn’t mean hanging out at Grateful Dead concerts. It means making your flowers really pop. And it’s simple. A little snip here, a little trim there, and voila, your flowers will put out a fresh set of new blooms.
1) When to Deadhead – Do it anytime. In the heat, we avoid heavy pruning, but there is not a wrong time of year to deadhead. Whenever something is blooming heavily, wait a few days and go out and trim.
2) Which Flowers to Deadhead – Blooms that are completely finished, mostly finished, and even almost finished can go. Here is what happens. Plants have flowers to make seeds. It’s for reproduction. So if a flower blooms, pollinates, and closes, it will begin the process, as we say, of “going to seed.” At this point, energy from the plant is directed to this process of making seeds and away from making new blooms. So if you prune a flower when it is past its peak beauty, but before it begins to go to seed, the plant continues to use its energy for blooms instead of seeds.
3) Plants to Deadhead – There isn’t anything you can’t deadhead, but the ones that are the easiest are plants whose flowers are single-stemmed, not ones with clusters or long spires of flowers. Additionally, plants that only bloom once a year (think Azaleas, Camellias) don’t need it. Short-lived flowers like Petunias, Hibiscus, etc. aren’t usually good candidates either. Roses, Bush Daisy, Geraniums, Coreopsis, and Blanket Flower are just some of the many flowering plants that really benefit from deadheading.
4) Use Liquid Fertilizer – A liquid fertilizer such as FoxFarm’s Tiger Bloom used on a weekly basis will help plants re-bloom. Since you want your plants to bloom as much as possible, give them the nutrients they need to do it.
5) Get Outside – What are you waiting for? You know there is something in your yard that needs deadheading. So grab the clippers and clean away the old blooms. Pretty soon the new flowers will have you smiling at your handiwork.