What Is Deadheading Flowers and How Do You Do It?

Some newer annual varieties are self-cleaning and require no deadheading.

Deadheading is the practice of removing spent flowers from blooming plants. As a result, the blooming period of the plant is extended as much as several weeks. Deadheading will encourage some plants to continue blooming until the arrival of freezing weather in autumn. Deadheading also keeps plants looking neat, trim and healthy throughout the growing season.

How Does Deadheading Work?

While it may seem that plants produce blooms just to provide beauty to the landscape, the primary reason plants bloom is to reproduce by forming seeds. Once the flower wilts and seeds take its place, the plant's primary task has been accomplished and blooming is no longer required. Deadheading is a way of tricking the plant to bloom as long as possible.

Deadheading Annuals

Annuals are prolific bloomers that benefit from regular deadheading throughout the growing season. Without deadheading, the blooming season of annuals will be shortened considerably. To deadhead annuals, pinch off the flower and the stem down to the bud or next set of leaves. Deadhead annuals when the bloom has passed its peak and don't wait until the flower is completely wilted. By that time, many plants have already begun to produce seeds. Most annuals are easily deadheaded by pinching the stem with your fingernails.

Deadheading Perennials

While the blooming season of perennials is more limited than annuals, deadheading perennials often produces a second flush of blooms. Deadheading keeps perennials healthy, allowing plants to conserve energy needed for next year. Deadheading is also important for many perennials, such as yarrow or calendula, that may become invasive if allowed to go to seed. While deadheading most perennials is no different than deadheading annuals, many annuals have tough stems that should be deadheaded with a pair of garden shears to avoid damaging the tissue.

To Deadhead or Not?

Although deadheading prolongs the blooming season, gardeners often opt not to deadhead plants as the season winds down in late summer or autumn. Leaving flowers in place in autumn will allow some plants, such as calendula or poppies, to reseed themselves the following year. Alternatively, some plants such as petunia or marigold don't reseed themselves, but the seed is harvested, dried and stored for planting the following spring. Some plants, such as black-eyed Susan or autumn joy sedum have attractive seed pods that add winter interest while providing food for hungry birds.

References

• Illinois State University; When to "Pinch" or "Deadhead"; Marsha Overton; 2007
• Colorado State University Extension: Deadheading - How to and When to?