Deadheading is the removal of spent blooms to prolong flowering, improve overall plant appearance, and/or to prevent unwanted fruit or seeds.
Annuals
- Pinch spent flowers at the base where they meet the stem immediately after blooms fade to encourage prolific color all season.
- Some annuals that
respond well to deadheading are dahlias, geraniums, marigolds and snapdragons. - Deadheading can also help annual plants attain a more attractive growth habit.
Perennials
- Removal of the spent blooms on perennials allow the plant to increase vigor and store energy for next year’s flush.
- Perennials such as blanket flower, yarrow and salvia can be encouraged to re-bloom by pinching off spent flowers before they form seed heads.
- Deadheading also prevents some perennials such as yarrow from self seeding and becoming invasive.
Deadheading is a balance between the attractiveness or value of the seeds and fruit, and season-long blooms. Personal preference is the deciding factor when evaluating the removal of faced flowers.
For more information, see the following Planttalk Colorado™ script(s).
