The best looking flower gardens will be those that receive generous doses of tender loving care. Weeding, watering, adding compost, and keeping damaging insects out of your beloved blooms are all essential parts of helping your garden put on its absolute best display of healthy, vigorous color. One commonly overlooked practice that will boost your flowers’ productivity is to deadhead spent blooms.
The practice of deadheading simply involves removing dead blossoms from the plant. There are several reasons to do this, including the collecting of seeds for future planting. In addition, a garden in which the dead blooms are removed will look neat and tidy, with the live blooms taking center stage, without distraction.
Gardening Tips: How to Deadhead Flowers
Beyond these benefits, the procedure adds to the health of the plant in many ways. First, removing the dead bloom triggers the plant to stop sending vital nutrients in that direction. Secondly, those nutrients may then be used to nourish blossoms that are growing or currently blooming, so that they will produce their loveliest offerings for you. The result will be larger, more colorful flowers on all of your plants, both annuals and especially perennials. Rose bushes and flowering shrubs also benefit from the practice.
The process of deadheading is very simple. First of all, wait until the bloom is dead and drying out. Sometimes blossoms are only wilting due to a lack of water. Get out the watering can and revive wilting blooms! However, when flowers begin to turn color or lose petals, they are officially candidates for being deadheaded.
To properly deadhead a plant is very easy. Some gardeners prefer to use pruning shears or a pair of garden scissors to clip off spent blooms. Others prefer to do it solely by hand. If that is your approach, be cautious. First, firmly grasp the plants stem and hold it very stable. This will help to ensure that you do not pull on the plant’s roots, possibly uprooting them or causing damage that will affect the long-term health of your flowering plant. Secondly, grip the dead blossom and dig your thumb into the stem just below the spent flower. Thirdly, snap the stem to remove the dead blossom. With time and practice, you will get to know the level of effort required on each type of flower, and whether using your hands or a tool is the best approach.
Save the spent blooms for their seeds. If you do not plan to use them, a gardening friend might be thrilled to have them. Do not add them to your compost pile, because if the seeds do not fully break down, they might begin growing where the compost is spread – and you’ll have daisies or snap dragons popping up where you least expect them!
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