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Garden Chores: Deadheading

June 15th, 2010

Now that the first flush of spring blooms are fading it’s time to start deadheading. I don’t deadhead everything in the garden, some things I let go to seed for the birds. There are a few plants that I deadhead to prolong blooming or because their spent blossoms are distracting in the garden. Peonies are one of those things that need deadheaded, their spent blossoms leave a mess in the garden. When you cut back the spent blossoms they look like nice tidy shrubs. One exception to this is my single peony that puts off lovely seed pods that look like tiny jester’s caps.

I like to deadhead plants like salvia, lilies and catmint because they’ll produce another flush of blooms. I wait until most of the blooms are gone and then cut or snap off individual flowers off for certain plants (salvia and day lilies) and for others you can simply shear the plant back by about one third (catmint and ‘stella de oro’ lilies).

Do you deadhead flowers in your garden? All of them or just specific ones?

12 Comments to “Garden Chores: Deadheading”
  1. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by mark mile, Susy Morris. Susy Morris said: Garden #Chores: #Deadheading http://goo.gl/fb/1FSyT #flowers […]

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  2. Mangochild on June 15, 2010 at 5:44 am

    How is deadheading done? It is something that I am still unsure about… how much and which plants? I have a few that I suspect might need it, but I worry about the process.
    .-= Mangochild´s last blog ..Out in the Community =-.

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    • Susy on June 15, 2010 at 8:53 am

      Most plants, I simply cut off the spend blossoms right below the blossom. Catmints can be completely sheared back by about 1/3, so you cut off the entire top of the plant. Plants like lillies will continue blooming if you simply snap off the spent blossoms, they snap off easily at the base of the flower.

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  3. pam on June 15, 2010 at 7:10 am

    Yep, I deadhead. My catmint is screaming for deadheading, but the bees are still hitting the few little open flowers, so I hate to take away their fun!
    .-= pam´s last blog ..Garden Tuesday – Trumpet Honeysuckle =-.

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  4. Sense of Home on June 15, 2010 at 8:52 am

    I dead head the peonies and lilac. They look much better and then plant production can go into the growth rather than seeds.
    .-= Sense of Home´s last blog ..Sicilian Chicken =-.

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  5. Turling on June 15, 2010 at 9:57 am

    I deadhead depending upon how close the plant is to where I enjoy my evening cocktail. If I can’t see it, it survives. But, if it’s within eyeshot…
    .-= Turling´s last blog ..Result =-.

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  6. MAYBELLINE on June 15, 2010 at 10:00 am

    I believe I deadhead everything.
    .-= MAYBELLINE´s last blog ..Tomato Hornworm =-.

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  7. MAYBELLINE on June 15, 2010 at 10:07 am

    I see you have an interest in embroidering. Please share photos of your work. I enjoy stitching as well.
    .-= MAYBELLINE´s last blog ..Tomato Hornworm =-.

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  8. sarah on June 15, 2010 at 11:21 am

    Zinnias and cosmos! :) More I snip the more they come back.
    .-= sarah´s last blog ..Garlic =-.

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  9. Amy on June 15, 2010 at 11:27 am

    I deadhead all except those things I wish to propagate such as columbine, delphinium, butterfly bush, echinacea, veronica….etc……these I let run wild if you will :)

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    • Susy on June 15, 2010 at 11:52 am

      I let a few go to seed for future flowers as well, especially echinacea and larkspur.

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  10. Lisa on June 16, 2010 at 12:53 am

    I like to deadhead my petunias, just because it’s amazing how quickly they put on new blooms. I check mine about every other day for spent/wilted blooms and remove them and within another couple days, there is a whole new set of vibrant blossoms!
    .-= Lisa´s last blog ..We’ve Gone Horse Crazy! =-.

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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