Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 06/11/2008 05:38 PM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 06/11/2008 05:47 PM
Expires: 01/01/2013 12:00 AM
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"Deadhead" Flowers to Neaten Garden and Prolong Bloom~By Ken Churches
For me, deadheading blooming plants in my garden is a dreaded task. I dislike it so much that I have often resorted to taking my electric hedge trimmer and giving the plants a quick topping. If you are one who finds it relaxing to remove spent flowers as you wander through your garden, you will be richly rewarded with a neat looking garden and a prolonged blooming period.....
The purpose of flowers is ultimately to produce seeds so that the plant can propagate itself. When you remove flowers before they start producing seeds, the chemical message to the plant makes it produce more flowers. Because plants in nature do just fine without being deadheaded, removing spent blossoms rarely, if ever, is important for the health of the plant.
Deadheading makes the most sense for repeat bloomers such as roses and highly modified annuals, such as marigolds, in order to keep them blooming. For most other plants, it is just a matter of appearance and the personal taste of the gardener. There are no special techniques or tools required for this chore. Simply cut or pinch off fading blooms, being sure to remove any seedpods that may have started forming behind the flower. Don't just remove the petals.
Keep in mind that one of the aims of deadheading old blossoms is to keep the plant looking attractive. For moderately bushy plants, like marigolds, remove each fading flower and its individual stem. Bushy plants that bloom profusely at the ends of the foliage, like coreopsis, can be sheared back with grass shears. Sometimes this shearing will encourage a new flush of blooming. For plants that produce one flower at the end of a long stem, cut the whole stem off at the base so you don't end up with empty stems.
Gardeners who want to avoid having "volunteer" or offspring seedlings starting in their flowerbeds may want to do exhaustive deadheading. On the other hand, it can be a great pleasure to watch self-seeders like columbine (Aquilegia) or Shirley poppies come up in delightfully unexpected places. Cosmos and viola both pop up readily the following spring with no effort on a gardener's part, if they're allowed to set seed.
Before removing every spent flower in sight, be sure you know which plants produce attractive seeds or seed pods that you'll miss if you deadhead everything at the end of the summer. For instance, Gladwin iris has scarlet-orange seedpods in the fall, and some peonies also produce attractive seeds and seedpods. And of course, the more plants you allow to form seeds, the more likely you'll be to have seed-eating birds visiting your garden regularly.
This article adapted from Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, USDA. Please contact the Farm Advisor’s office at cdcalaveras@ucdavis.edu or 754-6477 with your agricultural questions. Talk to a certified Master Gardener every Wednesday, 10:00-12:00, 754-2880. To speak with a Master Gardener in Tuolumne County, please call 209 533-5696.
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