With August here and summer well under way, Welsh gardeners are being urged to spend a few minutes deadheading their plants now, with gardening expert Adam Kirtland saying the simple job can lead to double the flowers this summer.
Kirtland, widely recognised as View from the Potting Bench on TikTok, shared the advice in a recent video. He said: "The other one will give you double the flowers on your favourite plant."
How to grow more flowers
Gardeners should keep an eye out for any seed heads that may have formed on their plants. A flower seed head is the dried or mature portion of a flower that persists after the petals have faded and dropped, containing and safeguarding the plant's developing seeds.
When a plant is producing seeds, it diverts energy away from generating blooms. To promote greater flower production, Kirtland recommends simply removing the seed heads through deadheading. He said: "This job only takes a couple of minutes but it's gonna give you more and more flowers."
Deadheading technique
Removing spent and wilted flowers helps redirect energy towards new shoots, encouraging additional blooms to develop throughout the rest of summer. The process is straightforward: cut away the flower head at the point where it joins the stem, and it can be done on individual faded blooms while leaving other flowers untouched.
Kirtland explained: "Whether it's your beloved roses or your favourite dahlias, snipping off behind the faded seed head is the best way to get more flowers on plants."
Cluster cutting and extra benefits
Beyond removing faded flower heads, cutting back surplus flowers that grow in clusters can help stimulate further flowering. Find where the cluster finishes, follow the stem down to the next group of five leaves, and trim just above this set of leaves. This channels energy away from flowers and buds that are no longer at their peak.
Consistent deadheading also reduces the likelihood of fungal infections taking hold and destroying blooms before their time. The Royal Horticultural Society recommends routine deadheading whatever the season. For hybrid tea roses, the RHS explained: "Gently snap the faded flowers off hybrid tea roses, breaking the stalk just below the head. This method encourages more blooms more quickly compared to cutting with secateurs."
For other roses, the RHS advised: "For other roses, snip off individual flowers or clusters of flowers down to just above the next leaf."
