Gardening Maintenance in July: Remove Faded FlowersGardening Maintenance in July: Remove Faded Flowers Summer is in full swing, and it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your gardening labor. However, maintaining a beautiful garden requires ongoing care, even after the initial planting and landscaping. One essential task for July is the removal of faded flowers, known as deadheading. Why Deadhead? Deadheading serves several important purposes: * Improves appearance: Faded flowers can detract from the overall aesthetics of your garden. Removing them keeps your plants looking neat and attractive. * Encourages more flowering: By removing spent flowers, you direct the plant’s energy towards producing new blooms. This results in a more continuous and abundant display of flowers. * Prevents seed production: Some plants produce unwanted seed pods when flowers fade. Removing flowers prevents seed formation, keeping your garden free of clutter. How to Deadhead Deadheading is a simple process that can be done using your fingers, pruning shears, or scissors. The method will vary depending on the type of plant: * Bedding plants: Use your thumb and finger to pinch off the flower and its stem. * Pelargoniums: Pinch off individual flowers or use secateurs to remove clusters and the flower stalk. * Roses: Break off the faded flowers and the stem just below the flower bud. * Shrubs: Snip off the flower heads with your fingers or use pruning shears to cut just below them. * Climbers: Use pruning shears to cut off the dead stems at the base. Benefits of Deadheading in July Removing faded flowers in July ensures that your garden remains visually appealing and encourages continued flowering throughout the summer. By following the simple techniques described above, you can maximize the beauty and enjoyment of your outdoor space. Remember, deadheading is not a daunting task, and it’s a small investment of time that will yield big results in the appearance of your garden.
It’s officially gardening season.
From al fresco dining to a weekend in the paddling pool, there’s nothing quite like sitting outside when the weather is nice.
It’s Officially Gardening Season – But the Tasks Don’t Stop ThereSource: Getty
And since we’re a country full of novice gardeners, chances are most of us already have our outdoor spaces beautifully landscaped.
But just because the sun is shining doesn’t mean you can’t be outside anymore.
There is one thing that experts at the Royal Horticultural Society recommend you do in July to ensure you have the most beautiful garden on your street in August.
And that is removing faded flowers.
Bleeding is the term used for removing faded or dead flowers from plants.
According to experts, this is done to make plants look attractive and to encourage more flowering, both in beds and borders, in pots and in hanging baskets.
“Most flowers lose their appeal as they fade, ruining the overall appearance of beds, borders and containers,” they explained.
“By removing these, by removing dead branches, displays will continue to look beautiful for longer.
“Removing spent flowers also directs energy toward stronger growth and more flowers, rather than (often unwanted) seed pods.”
This also prevents plants with many petals, such as peonies and roses, from spreading old petals over the ground and making your garden look unsightly.
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How to Remove Dead Flowers
It’s as simple as using your finger and thumb.
“The easiest method is to pinch off or break off dead flowers with your finger and thumb, trying to remove the flower along with the stem to keep the plant looking tidy,” the RHS experts explain.
“To remove faded plants with thick, tough or stringy stems, you can use pruning shears, scissors or a knife.
For most plants, you should cut off the faded flower, just above the next bud or leaf on the stem.
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“Removing spent flowers doesn’t have to be a daunting task,” they continued.
“The vast majority of plants do not require any special technique.
“It’s just a matter of knowing where to pinch, cut or snip off the spent flowers.”
But don’t worry, below you can read exactly how to remove the faded flowers from each plant…
How to Get Rid of Dead Flowers on Different Plants
Deadheading – removing dead or wilted flowers from plants – is an important July gardening chore. It is done to keep plants looking attractive and to encourage more blooms.
The experts at the Royal Horticultural Society have explained exactly how to prune certain plants this July, so you can have a beautiful garden all summer long…
Bedding plants
Tender plants grown in beds, pots and hanging baskets respond well to the removal of faded flowers.
“The spent flowers of argyranthemum, heliotrope, pansies, polyanthus and petunias can be removed with the thumb and finger by pinching off the flower and stem,” according to the RHS.
Pelargoniums
The RHS advises pinching off individual flowers and then using secateurs to remove the entire clusters and the long flower stalk down to just above where it joins the main stem.
“Another option is to grab the flower stem and pull it down, away from the main stem. The stem should then snap cleanly,” the experts add.
Roses
Removing faded roses is very easy by carefully breaking off the faded flowers and breaking off the stem just below the flower bud.
“This method will produce more flowers faster than cutting the plant with pruning shears,” the experts say.
Shrubs
“The height of a shrub may make deadheading impractical, but examples of shrubs that benefit from deadheading include rhododendrons (and azaleas), camellias, lilacs (Syringa) and tree peonies,” the RHS says.
Use your finger and thumb to snip or pluck off each dead flower head where it attaches to the stem, or use pruning shears to cut just below the flower head – but be careful not to damage the new growth buds directly below the flower
Climbers
“Cut off dead climbing plants, especially Eccremocarpus, as this plant produces seed pods quickly,” the experts advised.
“Most have sturdy stems, so use pruning shears to cut the stems off at the base.”
