Gardener Michael Griffiths has issued a warning that many gardeners are deadheading their flowers incorrectly, a mistake that can prevent plants from producing repeat blooms throughout the summer. According to Griffiths, the common error is simply pulling off faded petals rather than removing the entire spent flower head, which allows seed formation to continue at the expense of new flowers.
The Common Mistake
In a TikTok video posted as @themichaelgriffiths, Griffiths explained: "You've been deadheading wrong — here's the mistake almost everyone makes. Pulling the dead petals off isn't deadheading, and it won't give you more flowers. The bit that matters is behind the flower. That little swelling is where the seed forms. Leave it there and the plant keeps feeding the seed instead of making new blooms." He advises gardeners to "snip off the whole flower head, back to just above a leaf or bud. That's what keeps the flowers coming."
RHS Advice on Timing
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) supports this technique, emphasising that timing is also crucial. The RHS recommends removing spent flowers as soon as they start to look untidy. "Fast-flowering bedding plants may need deadheading every day, while many herbaceous perennials only need attention once a week or every couple of weeks," the RHS states. However, the organisation reassures gardeners that a delay of a few days or even a week is unlikely to significantly affect flowering performance.
Plants That Can Be Left Alone
Not all plants require deadheading. The RHS notes several categories where deadheading is unnecessary or impractical:
- Plants grown for bird-friendly seeds, such as rudbeckias, cornflowers and sunflowers
- Plants that produce attractive hips or berries, including many roses, viburnums and amelanchiers
- Plants with ornamental seedheads, such as love-in-a-mist (Nigella), honesty (Lunaria annua) and Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi)
- Plants that flower so heavily that deadheading is impractical, including Deutzia, Spiraea, many asters, alyssum and trailing campanula
- Trees and vigorous climbers that are difficult to reach safely, such as Clematis montana and climbing hydrangea
- Any plants you want to self-seed naturally or collect seed from for future sowing
Benefits of Gardening
Beyond aesthetics, gardening offers significant wellness benefits. Regular time outdoors burns calories, increases vitamin D intake, and lowers cortisol levels to relieve stress. It can also preserve cognitive function and promote longevity, making proper deadheading a small but rewarding part of maintaining a healthy garden.
