Deadheading Roses, Dahlias and Flowers: Your Guide to Bigger and lasting Blooms

Revealing One of Nature’s Secrets: Huge, Copious Amounts of Vibrant Flowers That Last Much Longer

Deadheading, one of nature’s hacks that fools plants into making bountiful flowers galore! The good news is that this process is very easy to learn and apply. Also, more good news: you will always get great results as good as the experts no matter what your level of gardening is right now.

Let’s investigate why this works as well as it does, so that you can maximise the rewards and success by creating a garden teeming with colour and lavish, extravagant blooms.

The natural cycle of plants and shrubs is to grow new shoots and leaves, then budded stems form that soon burst into flower. Different plants will bloom like this from early spring right through to autumn and into early winter.

Now for the plant, this process is based on nature preserving the species and propagating more seeds for more plants as a kind of survival mechanism. The flowers open and employ lots of variable tricks and methods to attract pollinators that are attracted to the colours, nectar, and fragrance of the plant. This is a symbiotic relationship with the flowers and insects like bees and butterflies, to name just two.

As bees burrow deep inside the flowers, the plants utilise amazing, diverse tricks to attach pollen somewhere on the insects. This pollen is then transferred to other matching plant species to basically fertilise the plants. Once successful, the plant then changes modes and begins to redirect the energy it used to grow the flowers. It now changes and refocuses that same energy into manufacturing seeds.

The Seedpod Takes Time: This process takes time for the seeds to be ready, and while that happens, seed pods will form alongside existing flowers on the plant.

The Energy of Life: Imagine that a plant is fueled by a limited amount of energy, or ‘life force.’ This natural energy comes in two forms and two polarities. Think of it like a battery: the positive energy flows from the sun, which is why plants reach towards the light.

Grounded in the Earth: The negative side of the battery is the earth itself. It holds a deep reservoir of negative energy, a source of grounding. This is why roots (and some vegetables) grow deeper, seeking that energy source.

Powered by Light and Soil: With both positive and negative sources, photosynthesis can occur. The plant draws energy and vital nutrients from the ground, reaching towards the sun to create flowers, fruits, and everything it needs to thrive.

The Energy of Spring: When left to its own devices, a plant follows a natural cycle. In spring, a lot of its available energy goes towards new growth – shoots burst forth, and leaves unfurl.

The Cost of Blossoming: Buds form, then burst into beautiful flowers, but this also requires a lot of energy. Now, here’s where fertilisers, whether synthetic or organic, can make a difference. They provide an extra energy boost to the plant, in the form of essential nutrients like minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and proteins.

Nature’s Response to Abundance: This energy boost leads to lush, rapid growth, with more flowers and larger, more fragrant blooms. However, there’s a finite amount of energy available. As the plant continues to develop seeds, it naturally redirects some of that energy from flower production to seed production. This means fewer new flowers appear, and the existing blooms may not last as long.

The Cycle of Bloom and Seed: When a plant reaches a specific point in its growth cycle (which varies for each species), you’ll notice something interesting. The earliest blooms will start to fade, losing petals and eventually falling away. In their place, seed pods form. Left untouched, the plant will continue to channel all of its available energy into creating even more of these seed pods to ensure its survival.

Prioritizing the Future: The plant senses that it has the resources it needs, so it reduces flower production in favor of seed production. After all, from the plant’s perspective, the flowers have served their purpose – they attracted pollinators, and now the focus is on creating the next generation.

When Seed Production Takes Over: As the plant, rose bush, or flowering shrub focuses all of its energy on seeds, new buds and flowers stop forming. You might have noticed this earlier in the growing season – a stunning plant with abundant blooms, yet those blooms seem to fade unusually fast.

The Secret to Longer Blooms!

As the plant redirects energy towards seeds, new blooms slow down. You might have noticed this early on in the season: a vibrant plant bursting with flowers that fade faster than you’d like. But here’s the exciting secret gardeners use: deadheading!

This simple trick involves removing fading flowers before the plant sets seeds. By doing this, we can cleverly “trick” the plant into thinking it needs to keep producing more blooms to achieve its goal of reproduction. The result? A dazzling display of flowers throughout the season, all thanks to a little deadheading magic!

Beyond Beauty: The benefits of deadheading extend beyond just a gorgeous garden! If you love fresh flowers indoors, this ‘trick’ provides a continuous supply. Whether you wait for the flowers to start fading or cut them in their prime, the result is the same: you cleverly prevent seed formation! This encourages the plant to keep producing stunning new blooms, perfect for creating vibrant bouquets to bring the beauty of your garden indoors.

Boosting Blooms Without Harm: Don’t worry – deadheading doesn’t hurt the plant! Instead, it signals that it needs to keep those blooms coming. This encourages healthy new growth and even more flowers than the plant would produce if left alone. Remember, nature is constantly adapting. When you remove the fading flowers, the plant responds by focusing its energy on creating fresh buds and a profusion of new blooms … all in an effort to increase its seed production. But, because we keep removing those spent flowers, the plant is forced to produce even more blooms in a never-ending pursuit of its goal!

Letting Nature Take Over: As a gardener who learns from nature, I understand that every plant has a natural lifespan. There comes a time when you’ll notice signs that a plant’s growth is slowing down. This is its natural cue to focus on reproduction and ensure the continuation of its species.

The Time for Seeds: At this point, it’s wise to allow some flowers to develop seed pods. Resist the urge to deadhead everything! Let these pods mature, and eventually, they’ll burst open, releasing seeds that can be carried by the wind or fall to the ground.

Free Seeds for Your Garden: Here’s the beauty of this cycle: you can collect these dried seeds and store them for the next season! This gives you a chance to cultivate new plants from your own garden, absolutely free. Use them to fill in gaps, add variety, or create stunning new features alongside your existing flowers.