Deadheading and pruning your flowers will encourage healthy, colourful growth in the spring and summer months. Deadheading and pruning simply means to remove any dead or dying foliage, stems and flowers so that the healthy parts of the plant can soak up the essential nutrients they need to thrive. Deadheading not only removes spent flowers, but keeps your plants looking great as the season progresses. We’ll give you some tips on how to successfully deadhead your plants and keep them looking beautiful.
There are 4 steps to completing this project:
Deadheading flowers refers to removing the dead bulbs and foliage from your flowers so the healthy parts of your plant can grow. Check your plant for any dead flowers and pinch them off at the stem, just above the first set of healthy leaves. You can use shears or scissors to nip them off as well.
When deadheading flowers, avoid removing leaves as they are nutrient-rich and provide fuel for your flowers to grow. When removing flowers, be sure to remove the whole bulb and not just the petals.
A general rule of thumb is to prune spring-flowering shrubs after they bloom and summer or fall-flowering shrubs in late winter or early spring. Pruning is a little different from deadheading. Use a set of pruning shears, remove dead stems at their base, as well as diseased wood and any larger foliage that has expired. This helps encourage new growth and thins out the plant for sunlight to penetrate it more easily. You can also remove any stray shoots when needed to make the plant look neater.
Remember to use a balanced fertilizer and water your flowers regularly to ensure healthy growth and beautiful flowers. Feed them every 4-6 weeks but be sure not to overfeed. With these tips you’ll have beautiful looking flowers and plants all season long.
