Q: What is this I keep hearing about “deadheading” plants? Is this for perennials? K. O., Westhampton
A: This question always brings a smile to my face. The term “deadheading” sounds very dramatic and no, it does not mean you are listening to music from the rock group “The Grateful Dead” — though you may be. As gardeners, we use the word “deadheading” to mean removing spent or faded blooms — “dead” heads — of flowers from a plant.
We do this to promote new growth and re-bloom which improves the overall appearance of both the plant and our gardens. Plants have only one mission in mind and that is to make more plants. Once their flowers fade, they get busy focusing on their next task – making seeds. By cutting off the dead blooms, petals and all, we redirect the plant’s efforts from making seeds to making new blooms. Not all plants re-bloom, but many annuals and perennials do, so check into whether yours are re-bloomers.
To deadhead, simply pinch or prune off the finished bloom below the spent flower and just above the first set of healthy leaves. Check to make sure you do not accidentally cut off any little flower buds hiding in the wings. Take Buddleia (Butterfly Bush), for example. When I prune these, I am careful to first cut off just the main spent bloom as there are typically tiny green baby soon-to-be flowers waiting right next to the base of the first bloom blending in with the surrounding leaves. Be present mentally when pruning those bigger plants especially.
If you are trying to fill in some empty space in your garden, you may want to allow some spent flowers to go to seed. Some perennials are great re-seeders. Now, having plants pop up in unexpected places is not for everybody, but I love the fun surprise of it. And they are free! Examples of re-seeders are Alcea (Hollyhock), Lobelia (Cardinal Flower), Digitalis (Foxglove), and Myosotis (Forget-Me-Not). Native columbines are also terrific at sending out their fledglings into their nearby world. They are a relatively short-lived plant, so having their seedlings helps ensure their charming continuous presence in your garden.
If your mantra is “no seeds, please!” then a few plants that benefit from a re-blooming snip are phlox, yarrow, salvia (perennial), Shasta daisy, coneflower, and lupine. Give them 2 to 3 weeks to redirect their energies.
Deadheading gets you up close and personal with your plants, examining how they grow and how they are doing. I often find it quite enjoyable as I get to “know” my plants better and they look so much better when I am done – very satisfying. A good time to deadhead is when you are out watering or weeding your garden. Take a pause and see what’s happening in your garden space.
Thanks for asking a master gardener, K. O.!
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