It takes a lot of work to keep your garden looking its best, and it doesn’t stop when the growing season ends. But did you know there’s a way to help flowers regrow fuller and healthier?
Just cut off your flower’s heads! This process is called “deadheading,” when you remove dead, dried out, or wilted flowers, encouraging even more beautiful blooms. Cut off the dead flower where it connects to the main stem, just above where the flower meets its base.
If you’re not deadheading your blooms already, here are the types of plants in your garden you should start giving some extra TLC.
Marigolds
These gorgeous golden plants bloom best in the fall. Deadheading keeps them vibrant longer through the season.
As you deadhead, save the seeds for the following year. You can start Marigolds from seeds in a pot or in the ground.
They are also excellent in companion gardening. Grow them with vegetables and herbs to attract more insects or repel certain pests.
Petunias
Petunias are popular for pops of color in hanging baskets, at the edges of garden beds, or as full ground cover.
These annual (also tender perennials) come in many vibrant colors. They bloom for several weeks through spring and last until the first frost. Deadheading the flowers allows petunia variants to blossom longer.
Zinnias
These bright-colored summer-blooming flowers attract tons of butterflies, making them excellent for gardens. As they grow, some are taller, and some are shorter, making them ideal for any type of garden as their pink and orange hues bring joy across the landscape.
Deadheading encourages more flowers to bloom. If you want the last round of flowers to fully mature and scatter their seeds, leave the deadhead lying around, and they will self-seed and likely return next year.
Cosmos
Cosmos are self-sowing. Deadheading and removing the spent flowers from your garden is a good solution if you don’t want more of them the following year.
If you want them to flower longer, prune the dead or faded flowers to give your garden a continuous pop of color.
Impatiens
These summer-to-fall flowers attract songbirds even after a late frost. Though they can be propagated from stem cuttings, deadheading for seeds works, too.
One variant of these is Rose Balsam, which produces seed pods that explode when touched when the flower is ripe, giving them the name Touch-Me-Not.
Impatiens also attract deer, which could be a plus or a minus, depending on your garden situation (no one loves deer eating the vegetable garden).
Begonias
These ornamental annuals (and tender perennials) are popular indoors and outdoors. Begonias are easy to propagate and care for and are happy in baskets, pots, and flower beds.
Since these are mostly easy to grow, it should come as no surprise that they produce a ton of seeds. If you do not want rogue Begonias in your garden, when you deadhead the spent flowers, throw them away.
Geraniums
Geraniums are popular basket plant ornamentals like Begonias. They are happy indoors or outdoors and love lots of sun. Cut their deadheads off if you want them to bloom all summer. You don’t necessarily need to prune these, but finger-pinching the blossoms works fine.
Wait until an intense rain or a bloom gets its biggest before removing the spent flowers.
Sunflowers
These wild beauties can be cultivated just about anywhere. Although they’re annuals, most are self-seeding, which is why you see so many wild ones on the side of the road. Deadheading them extends their seasonal flowering period.
If your sunflowers grow in fertile soil, you can grow certain varieties for tasty treats — like sunflower seeds or oil.
Daisies
Daisies can be annuals and perennials, but getting them to grow bigger and more beautiful takes a little work. Deadheading helps the blossoms last longer.
I love how white Shasta Daisies look in a garden. They love full sun to light shade.
Coneflowers
Coneflowers are perfect for ornamental landscaping.
One of the biggest benefits of deadheading them is redirecting the photosynthetic energy they produce. Removing the big seed pod and bloom helps them flourish later into their growing season.
Peonies
Deadheading is the way to go if you want the most luscious peonies ever. These flowers are prized for how large their blossoms develop.
Preventing disease is the biggest benefit aside from encouraging larger growth. If flowers are removed before fully blooming, secondary blooms encourage larger growth for the main buds on the plant.
Daylilies
Daylilies can be deadheaded. They must be pruned to avoid spreading disease from the decaying buds. Be sure not to damage the leaves, and always use clean tools to avoid spreading disease.
Hibiscus
The prized Hibiscus only blooms one day before the flower starts to die (unless it is a hybrid). Removing the wilting flowers greatly improves the overall health and growth of the plant.
Deadheading is the solution for seeing more hibiscus blossoms. These can be pinched off for easy removal.
Coreopsis
Though these look like daisies, they aren’t. Coreopsis has a long flowering season, so deadheading helps them bloom longer.
A quick snip is sure to bring bright yellow buds into your fall evenings.
Phlox
These clusters of violet flowers grow wild, meaning they self-sow. Deadheading faded flowers prevent seed heads from developing.
They can also become invasive species if left unchecked, and removing the spent flowers prevents that.
Blanket Flowers
Blanket Flowers self-seed, love the full sun, and poor soil conditions.
Also known as Gaillardia, deadheading helps stimulate more growth, but these flowers really only need help in the late summer or fall.
Hybrid Tea Rose
Roses and the many ways to care for them provoke much discussion in gardening. Different varieties require unique levels of care based on growth patterns, hardiness, and more.
Not everyone agrees that deadheading a rose is a good idea, but this pruning method still produces bigger and better blooms.
For Hybrid Tea Rose variants, traditional deadheading faded or wilted blooms promote more flowers.
Floribunda Roses
Like other multi-flowering plants, the Floribunda produces many blooms on a single stem. It is a hybrid of two different rose types: the Polyantha Rose and a Hybrid Tea Rose.
These plants benefit from deadheading, but be sure not to snip spent flowers too late in the summer so they have time to grow before the first freeze.
Grandiflora Roses
Another rose hybrid, Grandiflora, is beloved for its giant blossoms. Deadheading them creates more flowers.
Keeping up with any kind of rose hybrid, especially if you want a showy rose garden, means pruning faded blossoms.
Lantana
These brightly colored plants are another favorite for butterflies. Their flowers bloom in pink, yellow, and red. They also grow wild, meaning they self-sow and are prolific spreaders. If you want pollinator-friendly ground cover, these flowers are for you.
Deadheading and removing the blossoms from the garden is best if you want epic floral displays and to limit the spread of Lantana.
Verbena
Violet Verbena beauties benefit from good pruning.
If you want to prolong their blooming, deadhead the plant once a week and when you notice flowers fading.
Salvias
Salvias are a wildly varied type of flower. You might recognize them as Woodland Sage.
Like other seasonal blooms, deadheading the blossoms encourages further growth throughout the season.
Dahlias
Roses, Peonies, and Dahlias are popular for their bright, huge blossoms. Deadheading the spent flowers and stem correctly guarantees more blossoms in their growing season.
With continued care and deadheading, these flowers will continue to bloom into the fall or until the weather gets cooler.
Mums
Like Marigolds, Mums are a popular fall flower. They come in various colors, from white and orange to golden red, and are popular for decorating porches come autumn and Halloween.
Deadheading prolongs blooming and prevents self-seeding for certain varieties. Pinching the spent flowers is preferable to pruning with tools as it’s gentler on the stem.