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What does deadheading do for your flowers?

flowercutting

If you’ve taken the time and effort to plant and care for a flower garden, you know how rewarding the experience can be. The only downside is that those beautiful flowers can’t bloom forever. But there is a way you can extend the length of your flowering season: deadheading your flowers.

Not sure what deadheading means, when it should be done or how to do it?

What is deadheading?

Deadheading refers to the removal of dead or wilting flowers from a living plant. Removing fading flowers delays the production of new seeds and instead encourages the plant to generate more blooms. It can be done for most annual and perennial plants.

Why should you deadhead?

Deadheading can help your plants conserve energy. Nutrients that would be wasted on fading flowers can be spent on growing new blooms, foliage and roots. It also helps slow the seed production of plants that self-sow too aggressively, such as bellflowers or garlic chives.

When’s the best time to deadhead?

Deadheading should be performed as soon as a flower’s appearance begins to fade but only during the growing season. In cooler months, the seeds provide food for local wildlife.

And keep in mind: Some plants shouldn’t be deadheaded at all. For example, if certain perennials aren’t allowed to reseed, they won’t bloom the following season.

How do you deadhead?

Deadheading is quick and simple: Pinch off the fading flower or clip back the stem. (If you take too much of the stem off, it will need time to grow back before new blooms can appear.)

For hardier plants, hand pruners may be necessary. For plants that produce an abundance of tiny flowers, such as coreopsis, garden shears may be a more convenient option.

For more ways to improve your home and yard, reach out today.

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