These long, warm, and sunny summer days can still bring plenty of flowers. Some plants will stop making new flowers and instead make seeds. Late July presents a great opportunity to deadhead your flowers and revive them to extend the season. A simple, yet incredibly effective technique that can take as little as a few snips and will transform your garden by stretching out the length of your flowering season.
Why Bother?
The concept of deadheading is simply the act of removing spent, faded, or “dead” flowers from a plant. This gives the plants a signal to shift focus back to producing flowers instead of seed production.
Once a flower has been pollinated and its petals begin to fade, the plant’s goal shifts to forming seeds. This is an energy-intensive process, and if left unchecked, it can signal to the plant that its reproductive duty is fulfilled, prompting it to slow down or even cease new flower production altogether.
By removing these spent blooms, we essentially “trick” the plant into believing it hasn’t yet completed its mission and encourage it to develop new buds, leading to fresh flowers. It’s a win-win: more blooms for you, and a healthier, more vigorous plant. Avoid cutting back thick wood where you can’t see any buds.
Timing is Everything
Why is late July particularly relevant for deadheading? Many popular summer annuals and perennials are in their full glory right now, and the first flush of blooms is starting to wane. This is the moment to cut back your dead and leggy growth. By consistently deadheading through late July and into August, you can significantly extend the flowering period of your favorites, ensuring your garden remains colorful after the peak of summer.
While most flowering plants appreciate a good deadhead, some respond with particular enthusiasm:
- Annuals: Petunias, marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, snapdragons, and salvia are prime candidates. They are, by nature, programmed to bloom profusely, and deadheading supercharges that instinct.
- Perennials: Many popular perennials, like coneflowers, delphiniums, coreopsis, and phlox, will reward your efforts with a second, or even third, flush of blooms.
- Roses: Deadheading roses is crucial for continuous flowering and maintaining their elegant form.
Easy Steps to More Flowers
Ready to get started? Here’s your straightforward guide to successful deadheading:
- Identify the “Casualties”: Look for flowers that are past their prime. They’ll appear faded, shriveled, or browning, and their petals may be starting to drop.
- Locate the Sweet Spot: The key is to cut just above the first set of healthy leaves or a new bud that is forming below the spent flower. This is where the plant will naturally redirect its energy to produce new growth.
- For plants with single stems and a prominent spent flower (like many roses or dahlias): Cut the stem back to a strong leaf or a developing side shoot.
- For plants with clusters of flowers (like petunias or salvia): Pinch or snip off the entire spent cluster, again aiming for a healthy set of leaves or a new branching point.
- Tool Time: For most plants, a sharp pair of bypass pruners or even a clean pair of scissors will suffice. For delicate blooms, a gentle pinch with your fingers might be all that’s needed. Always ensure your tools are clean to prevent the spread of diseases.
- Consistency is Key: Deadheading isn’t a one-and-done task. Make it a regular part of your garden routine, perhaps during your morning stroll or evening watering. A few minutes every few days will yield far greater results than a single, sporadic session.
Deadheading Benefits
While increased flower production is the primary goal of deadheading, it offers several other advantages:
- Improved Plant Appearance: Removing spent blooms keeps your plants looking tidy and well-maintained, enhancing the overall aesthetic of your garden.
- Disease Prevention: Dead or decaying flowers can sometimes become breeding grounds for fungal diseases. Removing them helps maintain good air circulation and reduces the risk of infection. Branches that cause a hazard to people, pets, or property should be removed quickly.
- Stronger Plants: By redirecting energy from seed production, deadheading helps plants allocate more resources to developing a strong root system and robust foliage, leading to healthier, more resilient plants.
As you enjoy the heat of late July, consider deadheading your flowers and reviving your garden.