How to Deadhead Flowering Plants

Deadheading is the term used for clipping flowers that have finished blooming – spent blooms. There are good reasons to take the time to deadhead flowers. Here are some tips on how to do this kind of maintenance and some information on why you should deadhead flowering plants.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
   Identifly spent flower heads

   During blooming season, regularly check your flowering plants. Once the petals droop or fall, most plants will benefit by cutting off spent flower heads before they start to form a seed capsules. This will keep the plant from using up vital energy setting seeds. Also, by deadheading, you will encourage your plant to send up another supply of flowers.

2. Like all living things, plants have a prime directive of procreating. Their goal is to make seeds for new generations. If you stop the first flush of flowers from setting seed, they are likely to try again. This is particularly true of annuals that have short lives and are more driven to set lots of seeds since they don't need to store energy for another year's growth.

3. 
   Cut just above an axil or node

   Follow the flower down the stem to the first axil where there will be either a bud or a node where a leaf grows. Cut off the flower stem just above that node and a new flowering shoot is likely to grow out from this point.

4. 
   Encourage more flowering by deadheading

   By deadheading, not only will your plants look neater and more attractive, but you will be extending the blooming period of your flowers. You will also reduce the number of seeds that are likely to be produced by invasive flowers so there will be less weeding next year. Deadheading flowering plants is very easy though it does take a little of your time.

Resources

• Landscape design and gardening information
• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide

[sherriruston]

on 6/17/2009 Thanks. This was helpful.

[jenng]

on 5/19/2009 Great article on how to deadhead flowering plants 5*