Kew Answers for Everyday Gardeners by Polly Stevens

Author:Polly Stevens
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Quarto Group
Published: 2024-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

55

WHICH PLANTS BENEFIT FROM DEADHEADING?

Deadheading is the act of removing the flowers which have finished flowering and are now dying back or going to seed. Removing these flowers will encourage new flowers to open and improve the overall appearance of the plant.

The best method for deadheading is to pinch off the dead flowers between your forefinger and thumb. It helps if you have a longer thumb nail. Be careful not to pull too hard at the plant as this will damage or even uproot it, instead, try to snap the flower off using your thumb. Some plants have tougher stems making them harder to snap with your fingers, in which case cut the flower heads using secateurs. You can deadhead at any time of year. Keep an eye on your plants, especially in summer as most flowers will bloom and die back within a week or two, sometimes even faster depending on the plant type. With certain plants, such as poppies, it is advisable to leave the flower heads as they may be beneficial to wildlife or attractive. Some plants will self-seed if you leave the flowers, which is great if you want the plant to return the following year, as you won’t need to propagate or buy new plants. Do some research into the plants you are growing to see if they should be deadheaded.

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