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Deadheading

Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

I was just wondering if there is a correct way to dead-head?  The reason I ask is that despite deadheading, all my Candytuft seems to have stopped flowering????

Also, do all flowering plants need deadheading or do some shed the dead flowers naturally and carry on flowering (obviously I know ones like roses, begonias, sweet peas, marigolds etc should all have dead flowers removed).

 

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  • I have pondered this question also and last year, mainly down to motivational issues on my own part, I more or less stopped deadheading dahlias, cosmos, coreopsis, gaillardias, scabious and the like. They do carry on throwing up flowers, but I think they do appear to run out of steam earlier. More important they started to look very untidy and the flowers , fewer in number, got lost among a crowd of untidy dead flowers. Some seed heads are attractive, many are not. The effect was pretty poor, so I am being more diligent this year and, more important, enjoying it.

    Can't comment specifically on candytuft, but next year you could do half and half to see what happens. My guess is that it probably doesn't make a deal of difference.

    Not sure if this actually answers your question, but if in doubt cut it out, or off image

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    I don't deadhead anything. 



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    Thank you Woody image I don't think I made the question totally clear (obviously need more coffee!) When I said 'correct way', I meant should you take the flower off just at the top or further down the stem or doesn't it matter? Not necessarily in relation to Candytuft but in general, although I did wonder if I had done it wrong and that's why the Candytuft had stopped flowering? 

  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066

    Most info Ive read up on this seems to say take the stem too, so I do. With candytuft I'd be tempted to give it the chop like I do with pansies and wallflowers and see if it gives it a second wind, I havent grown it so cant say definitely.

    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Cut them off so you're not left with a bit of dead stalk OL



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • I always remove the stem down to an obvious joint, where hopefully the next flower is hiding. No lower!. 

    If I don't do this I get a sea of sticks, again a bit untidy and detracting from the beauty of the flowers. Stems also go brown too. Coreopsis is a good pointer for this. Mine seem to have hundreds of flowers in a season and quite long stalks.

    Nut, you have to give us some detail on your reasons and results. I am intrigued.image

  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    Thank you image That gives me a better idea, so basically dead head everything like I do my sweet peas when I take the whole stem. I can't believe how long dead heading actually takes, maybe that's Nuts reason and also for bird food and self seeding I would think?

  • There is definitely a correct way to deadhead and although I may be a bit slap-happy in some things I do in the garden, I do deadhead with care.

    To save a lot of explanation, this RHS advice about covers it:

     http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=129

  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800

    Excellent, thank you David image

  • I leave the final flowers on at the end of the season, and I don't tidy until early Spring, so the wild life gets a turn when it needs it most. I like the look of an untidy garden in winter too.

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