June 19th

By Mutt Mulligan

Deadheading 101

Deadheading is a necessary summer chore that means removing flowers that are fading or have finished blooming. With many plants you can encourage another round of bloom, or simply make the plant look good and compact, by removing the dead parts. But exactly how to deadhead can sometimes confound folks.

Deadheading 101

Here are three dead-on deadheading techniques. The rule of thumb is to remove the stem to the nearest bud or leaf below the dead bloom.

• Pinch – you can use your thumb and forefinger to remove the wilting portions of many mutli-flowered plants, such as petunias and marigolds.
• Snap – you can also use your hands to break off old blooms of day lilies, rhododendrons and iris.
• Snip – use hand pruners or garden shears for tougher stems on plants such as roses, lavender, asters, geranium and many other perennial