The five types of plants you should deadhead now to maintain a healthy garden
DEADHEADING is essential to maintaining a well-presented and healthy garden. Here are the five types of plants you should deadhead now to maintain a healthy garden
Gardeners' World: Adam Frost details how to mulch soil
Deadheading is a term used to describe the removal of flowers from plants when they are spent. The practice of deadheading helps keep your plants attractive and can help with prolonged flowering. Deadheading helps a plant produce more flowers as it boosts its drive to produce more seeds.
There are multiple methods for deadheading flowers, and different types of plants have different needs.
The simplest method is to pinch the faded bloom with a finger and thumb.
When doing this, to make the remaining plant look tidy, it’s common practice to remove the flower with its stalk.
You can also get rid of old blooms by using secateurs or sharp scissors.
This is particularly helpful when deadheading plants with tough or stringy stems.
Which flowers should I be deadheading right now?
Roses
Gently snap off the faded flowers of roses, breaking the stalk just below the head.
Do this instead of cutting just above a leaf, as the snapping method results in more blooms being produced more quickly on repeat-flowering cultivars.
Shrubs
Rhododendrons, camellias, lilacs, and tree peonies all need to be deadheaded at this time of year.
Using either sharp scissors, secateurs or your fingers, snap off each expired head where it joins the stem.
Be careful with shrubs as they will have new growths just below the dead flower and these are easy to damage.
DON'T MISS
When to cut back poppies - top tips for maintaining the perfect garden [INSIGHT]
Neighbour livid at woman sunbathing 'half naked' in communal garden [REPORT]
How to water plants while you're on holiday - three easy hacks [INSIGHT]
Bedding plants
Plants growing in containers and hanging plants respond well to deadheading.
Look out for the faded blooms of cherry pie, pansies, argyranthemums, polyanthus and petunias, all of which can be snapped off with a finger and thumb.
Geraniums
Hold the faded flower stalk at its base and pull downward.
The old bloom should snap out easily and cleanly.
Bulbs
Remove flowers from larger bulbs such as daffodils, along with the seed capsule.
However, leave the green flower stalk in place as this photosynthesises, which helps to build up the bulb to flower well next season.