Keen gardeners will know that it takes a lot of work to get your outdoor space looking its best. This is especially true during the summer months, when more and more time is spent outside enjoying the sunshine.
One thing that can really ruin the appearance of your garden is flowers that aren’t blooming as well as they should. And according to Michael the Mediterranean Gardener on TikTok, one common mistake could be the culprit. In a recent video, he said that people make this error ‘all the time’ – and it’s all to do with how you’re deadheading your flowers.
Deadheading plants involves removing dead or dying flowers in a bid to make the plant bloom bigger and brighter. Although it sounds pretty simple, the one mistake that a lot of people make could actually have the opposite effect.
Demonstrating to his plant, Michael said: “Pulling off dead flowers is not the same as deadheading, and won’t encourage more flowers.”
The pro explained that when you use your hands to pull off the petals, you leave behind the ovules, which is the part that produces the seeds.
How to deadhead flowers properly
Thankfully, if you want to avoid this issue, it’s really easy to deadhead your flowers – and you don’t even need garden shears to do it.
According to Michael, it’s as simple as using your thumb and forefinger to pinch off any blooms carefully and precisely rather than just ripping out the petals, making sure you get the full head off in one.
You can do this with any flower that looks faded or dead, and it’s the perfect way to give your plant a boost and encourage even more flowers to grow.
When to deadhead your flowers
How often you’ll need to deadhead your plants will depend on the type. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, it’s best to get rid of any scruffy-looking flowers as soon as they start to fade, no matter what time of the year.
This could mean daily for summer bedding plants, or once a week for other plants like perennials.
However, if you don’t find the time to deadhead frequently, don’t worry – the experts assured that a delay of a few days or even a week won’t impact your flowers too much.