Deadheading peonies: How to CAREFULLY deadhead peonies - step-by-step guide
PEONIES started blooming last month and should continue doing so for most of the summer, providing a pastel playground for flower lovers. Do you need to deadhead peonies?
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Brits have now got their first taste of a proper UK summer, with wall-to-wall sunshine and sweltering temperatures collapsing into rain and gloom. While these conditions will likely remain, for the time being, they allow plants to realise their potential with plentiful moisture. Some blooms may have succumbed to the recent heat, however, requiring a round of deadheading.
What is deadheading?
Deadheading is an ominous term used by gardeners to describe methods for revitalising blooms.
Removing scruffy, discoloured and dying heads keeps a bloom looking smart and encourages other flowers to grow.
Gardeners need only pick off wilting blooms with their fingers or scissors if they have tougher stems.
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Do you deadhead peonies?
Although they can grow for a long time, cut peonies don't last too long.
With minimal care, they last a week, around six to ten days after picking.
Peonies season can last a little longer if gardeners deadhead their blooms.
Experts recommend people deadhead peonies when they start to fade.
Rather than just extracting the head, they should cut the plant back to its leaf bud.
Doing so will help keep the rest of the bloom healthy and the surrounding area tidy.
Given the plants' numerous settles, deadheading prevents those scattering around as they die.
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How to deadhead peonies
Peonies require a little more care than other plants, as they have more a more delicate composition.
As such, people can't just pull flowers off when the situation requires.
Gently cup the base of a wilting flower and cut through the stem with pruning shears for a clean extraction.
Only cut below dead growth, just above healthy leaves growing on the stem.
Also, ensure to clean any tools used to deadhead, as they may spread bacteria otherwise.
Gardeners should pay attention to their plants every day, and getting rid of wilting blooms should inspire healthier growth elsewhere.
The process ultimately means they end up with more plants that last for longer.