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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.
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.
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