WTF is deadheading?

Welcome to my WTF Gardening series, where I take common gardening terms and explain them for those who are new to the world of plants. Find the entire WTF Gardening series here.

If you’re interested in keeping your garden looking fresh, healthy and uniform, you’ll want to get acquainted with deadheading! This is the act of removing faded or dead flowers from plants; it increases the visual appeal of the plant while also encouraging more flowers.

Deadheading is a regular part of garden maintenance for those who enjoy a neat, tidy and abundant garden. It encourages new blooms by redirecting energy that would have been used for seed production into producing new flowers – clever, hey?

Before you start chopping away at all your flowering plants, there are some plants that don’t require the effort. They’re ‘self-cleaning’, as their flowers simply fall off once the blooms begin to fade! These include vincas, angelonia, nemesia, bidens and some types of petunias. 

In addition, some perennial plants are excellent self seeders, and require their flowers to go to seed in order to reflower the next year. These plants include foxgloves, forget-me-nots and cardinal flowers.

Scroll down for common plants that DO need deadheading!

Tools for deadheading

If your plants have thin stems, you can often deadhead using just your hands. This is known as ‘pinching’. For thicker stems, use the following tools:

 

Secateurs

A sharp pair of secateurs is crucial for clean and precise cuts. Look for shears with a bypass design to avoid crushing stems, and a lightweight and ergonomic design for ease of use.

 

Snips or scissors

For delicate flowers or intricate deadheading work, small snips or scissors can be handy. Make sure they are sharp to avoid damaging plant tissue.

Always use clean tools to prevent the spread of disease!

How to deadhead

Not sure how far down the stem you should be cutting? Or the angle at which you should hold your shears? Read on to find out how to deadhead properly.

• Identify spent flowers

Locate flowers that have faded, wilted, or started to lose their petals. These are the blooms you’ll be removing.

• Position your tool

Hold your pruning shears, hand pruners, or snips at a 45-degree angle just above a set of healthy leaves or a lateral bud. Always check that there isn’t a healthy new bud hiding behind that spent flower! If there is, you can still deadhead, but don’t cut off the bud.

• Make clean cuts

Ensure your cutting tools are sharp, and make clean cuts to avoid unnecessary damage to the plant. Trim the stem just above a leaf or bud to promote healthy regrowth.

• Dispose of removed blooms

Collect the removed flowers and dispose of them to tidy up your garden and prevent any chance of disease spreading.

When to deadhead flowers

Different plants have different needs when it comes to deadheading, so always make sure to check before you go snipping. However, as a general rule, you can deadhead:

• As regular maintenance:

Deadhead regularly throughout the growing season to maintain a neat appearance and encourage continuous blooming. When it comes to plants with a short blooming time, you’ll find yourself deadheading very regularly – sometimes even daily. Bear in mind that hot weather, cold snaps, heavy rain, damage caused by insects, and other factors can influence the lifespan of a flower.

• As flowers fade:

Deadhead as soon as flowers begin to fade or show signs of wilting. This helps redirect the plant’s energy towards new growth.

• End of the season:

Towards the end of the growing season, consider a more extensive deadheading session to tidy up the garden and prepare plants for winter.

Common plants that require deadheading

There are many different plants that benefits from deadheading, but here are a few that you might already have in your garden:

 

Roses:

The most romantic bloom! Regular deadheading encourages the continuous production of new rose blooms. Why wouldn’t you?

 

Marigolds:

Keep this old favourite looking vibrant and bold. Deadheading marigolds promotes a longer blooming season and prevents self-seeding.

 

Pelargoniums:

Remove spent flower heads to encourage new buds and maintain a tidy appearance.

 

Petunias (some):

Regular deadheading of those iconic trumpet-like blooms keeps petunias looking fresh and encourages a bushier growth habit.

 

Zinnias:

Deadheading zinnias helps extend their blooming period and enhances overall plant health.

 

Now you know how to deadhead plants properly, and when to do it, go forth and give your garden new life!

Want me to unpack a specific gardening subject as part of my WTF Gardening series? Let me know in the comments below.