Deadheading spent flowers is essential for maintaining a neat and tidy garden. With summer now in high gear, deadheading is one of the best things you can do for your garden right now. Removing dead flowers and unruly stems helps to improve plant health and encourages more blooms.

Here's our guide to deadheading everything in the garden.

How to Deadhead Plants

As the blooms on summer-flowering bulbs & perennials start to wilt, simply pinch off spent flowers with its stalk. Dahlias, Cosmos and Buddleias in particular benefit from a good deadheading session to encourage a longer bloom cycle.

How to Deadhead Shrubs/Climbers

To deadhead shrubs, climbers, and those tougher plants, use secateurs to cut off any spent flowers or unruly stems back to 1/4 inch above a new lateral bud.

Tip - For roses, deadhead the individual blooms as soon as the petals begin to fall.

Q: Do all plants need deadheading?

A: No, you don't need to deadhead all your plants. Certain plants shouldn't be deadheaded as their spent blooms and seed heads are a great source of food for wildlife in the colder months.