Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: earthing83 on June 21, 2010, 22:26
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Hello everyone, I wondered if someone could tell me the general rule for deadheading flowers? I know that doing so helps certain plant produce more blooms (sweet pea etc) but does this apply to all flowers? I have freisas, geraniums, cosmos, marigolds.
Thanks in advance.
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I dead head everything that sets seeds to keep the flowers coming (unless I want the seeds of course :lol: )
Also keeps things looking tidy imho ;)
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Ditto
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I dead head everything as well but geraniums self-deadhead so its mostly picking off the flopping spent head if they're still on. Just had a good clip with the secateurs on all my columbines, irises, lilacs and anemones. Lady's mantle are next, clip-clip.
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Will deadheading always keep plants flowering, or do some have a set flowering period and when they're done, they're done?
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Some have a set flowering period and deadheading takes off seedheads which most folk don't want as it can either diminish plant vigour or spread seeds everywhere you don't want. Others will rebloom now that they aren't wasting energy on making seeds (like delphs, hollyhocks, roses, etc). And still others like lilacs need to be deadheaded this year so they'll prepare more flowering shoots for next year. This is similar to what we do with strawberries after fruiting - cut off all this year's leaves to make way for stronger growth and fruit next year.
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Your fresias won't bloom again this year though!
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I too deadhead everything - I find it very therapeutic!
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I am very keen on deadheading lady's mantle as they self seed like anything.Ithought this was great when I started gardening but they are one of my worst weeds now.
I manage to get a second flush of flowers on most of my geraniums particularly'nimbus' by deadheading the whole plant with garden shears and giving the plant a good liquid feed.Sounds drastic but it works.