Newsletter Articles
Deadheading Flowers: What It Is and How to Do It
By Richard Flowers, ACCNP, Green Thumb Nursery, Ventura
Richard is an Advanced California Certified Nursery Professional (ACCNP), a credential of the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers.
I tend to work one small section of the garden at a time, so deadheading a large area never feels overwhelming; in fact I find it peaceful. Whenever I have a few extra minutes I head out with a small bucket for the clippings, which later go in the compost. Just the other day I was tidying a container of zonal geraniums in oranges and pinks. Many of the blooms had faded to brown and black and looked tired, so I pinched off the spent flowers down to the next set of leaves. What had looked unsightly became a neat, healthy plant almost overnight, and in a few weeks it will be covered in fresh bloom. Here is how to do the same for almost any flowering plant.
What Is Deadheading?
Deadheading is the removal of a plant’s spent, faded flowers, along with any developing seed heads, to encourage it to keep flowering. Here is why it works. A plant’s whole goal in flowering is to set seed and make the next generation, so once its blooms fade it begins pouring energy into seed production. When you remove those spent flowers before they can set seed, you redirect that energy back into new flowers and healthy growth. The plant keeps trying to bloom, which is exactly what we want. Leaving faded blossoms on the plant does the opposite: it looks untidy and drains strength the plant could be spending on fresh color.
How to Deadhead Flowers, Step by Step
Deadheading is simple. As a bloom fades, pinch or cut it off just above the first set of healthy leaves or a new bud, rather than leaving a bare stub. Here is the method step by step:
- Find a flower that has faded, wilted, or turned brown.
- Follow its stem down to the first set of healthy leaves or a new bud or side shoot.
- Pinch or snip the stem cleanly, about a quarter inch above that point, so you do not leave a bare stub.
- Look into the plant for small new buds forming lower down, and cut just above them so you do not remove next week’s flowers.
For plants that flower in clusters or spikes, like zonal geraniums and delphiniums, wait until most of the cluster (about 70 percent) has faded, then remove the whole spent stem at once. While you are at it, pull off any yellowed or browned leaves to finish the tidy-up.
Can You Use Scissors to Deadhead?
Yes, you can deadhead with scissors. Small scissors or pruning snips make clean, tidy cuts with minimal tearing, and for soft-stemmed plants you can even pinch the spent flower off with your thumb and forefinger. For tougher or woody stems, such as roses, reach for a sharper pair of hand pruners and cut at a 45-degree angle, back to just above the first outward-facing leaf that has five leaflets. Whatever tool you use, keep it clean and sharp so the cuts heal quickly.
Why Deadhead? The Benefits
Deadheading earns its place in the routine. It keeps plants blooming longer and more heavily, keeps them looking crisp and tidy, encourages thicker and fuller growth instead of a leggy, floppy habit, and stops prolific self-seeders from scattering seedlings all over the bed. Done a little at a time as you putter through the garden, it takes almost no effort, and the payoff a few weeks later is a fresh flush of color.
Which Plants to Deadhead (and Which You Can Skip)
Most annuals and repeat-blooming perennials respond beautifully to deadheading, including zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, dianthus, snapdragons, hollyhocks, salvia, geraniums, delphiniums, marguerite daisy, and roses. A handful of plants, though, are essentially self-cleaning and do not need it: impatiens, begonias, vinca (periwinkle), and most flowering vines drop their spent blooms on their own. Petunias are a special case: older grandiflora types benefit from deadheading, while modern spreading petunias such as the Wave and Supertunia series are largely self-cleaning. Plants grown from spring bulbs are generally left alone too, since you want their foliage to ripen and recharge the bulb rather than be cut back. When in doubt, a quick deadhead rarely hurts a healthy plant.
Cutting Back vs. Deadheading
A few mounding perennials, such as coreopsis, catmint, and perennial salvia, start to look ragged after their first flush no matter how diligently you deadhead. For these, a harder “cut back” works better than picking off individual flowers: once most of the blooms have faded, shear the plant back hard, by about one-third to one-half (vigorous mounding types like coreopsis can be cut lower), and it will push out fresh, compact growth and often rebloom. Some fall-blooming perennials, like yarrow, cardinal flower, and goldenrod, also benefit from a pinch-back earlier in the season to keep them full rather than floppy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does deadheading mean in gardening?
Deadheading means removing a plant’s spent, faded flowers (and developing seed heads) so it keeps blooming instead of putting its energy into making seed. It keeps the plant tidy and encourages more flowers.
How do you deadhead a flower?
Pinch or snip the faded flower off just above the first set of healthy leaves or a new bud, rather than leaving a bare stub. Cut back to about a quarter inch above a leaf, bud, or lateral shoot.
Can you use scissors to deadhead?
Yes. You can pinch soft stems with your fingers, or use scissors or small pruning snips for a clean cut. For woody stems like roses, use sharper hand pruners.
Should you deadhead all plants?
No. Deadhead annuals and repeat-blooming perennials, but skip self-cleaning plants like impatiens and most flowering vines, and leave spring bulbs alone so their foliage can recharge the bulb.
When should you deadhead?
Deadhead through the blooming season, as soon as flowers start to fade. For plants that bloom in clusters or spikes, wait until most of the cluster (about 70 percent) has faded, then remove the whole spent stem.
Why does deadheading make plants bloom more?
Removing spent flowers stops the plant from spending energy on seed production and redirects that energy into new flowers and growth, so the plant keeps blooming.
How do you deadhead roses?
Cut the spent rose stem back with clean, sharp pruners to just above the first outward-facing leaf that has five leaflets; for a large bloom, you can go down to the next five-leaflet leaf. Cutting to an outward-facing bud steers the new growth outward for an open, healthy plant.
Sources
- Royal Horticultural Society, Deadheading Plants
- Missouri Botanical Garden, What Is Deadheading?
- University of Illinois Extension, Deadheading for More Blooms
- North Carolina State Extension, Deadheading and Pinching Back
- University of Illinois Extension, Caring for Annuals
- University of California ANR, Rose Deadheading
- Penn State Extension, Deadheading
With this simple garden habit, your beds and containers will stay colorful and healthy all season. If you are ever unsure how or how far to cut a particular plant, ask any of our garden experts at your favorite Green Thumb Nursery location, and we will be glad to help you succeed.
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