Deadheading

[Dumbo]

So I've been seeing some topics in the couple of flower forums here about the benefits of deadheading.

Even this website says how good it is: http://www.canadiangardening.com/search/deadhead, but in reality not all flowers benefit from this at all according to a Horticulturist, http://www.mercurynews.com/campbell/ci_ ... t-can-help

So I guess people here do this only for aesthetics (maybe some believe in the voodoo that all plants need this), or unless they are well into knowing the diff types of flowers they are growing and have in depth knowledge.

Seeing how this website says to just do it (for no reason at all, and for all flowers basically), I want to take a deviation from this voodoo and want to know which flowers do no benefit from deadheading. Or, which flowers specifically benefit from it.

Anyone know? Is there a list some place on the web showing which you are wasting your time with, or even damaging the plant by deadheading?

[Eeyore]

Most annuals benefit from deadheading. Their job is to produce seed and by interupting the cycle you force the plant to bloom more. Some plants will deadhead themselves, Calibrocha is one. I love them for that since I hate deadheading petunias, they are so sticky!

Reblooming roses need to be deadheaded until about mid-August. Most perennials do not benefit from deadheading but I do it to tidy up the plants and to prevent excessive re-seeding.

[Dumbo]

Yeah good point. Plants that can reseed and get out of control makes sense to deadhead.

Per the article, there are some roses you should never deadhead though. Too bad he didn't mention them, but gave clue about the ones with "hips".

[DonnaZn2SK]

Plants look better after deadheading, but it isn't absolutely necessary. Sometimes you can get a secondary flush of blooms by deadheading early. The only plant I've read not to deadhead is the hosta. If there is one that is infected with HVX (hosta virus - google it), then you could potentially be spreading it via your pruning tools.

[Heidi S]

I deadhead the annuals in my pots and baskets to keep them looking good, and I deadhead my Hansa Roses until mid August, as I have been told that leaving them to grow rosehips is one of the triggers to start getting ready for winter. I like the look of rose hips in the fall. Most of the rugosa roses do very nice rosehips.

[LeeInEdmonton]

Deadheading.....makes me smile because it reminds me of my early railroading experience. When you were transferred from one location to another within the division to fill in for people absent due to illness or vacations you rode to the new temporary location in the passenger section of the train & this was called deadheading.
I enjoy trivia & hope Iam not annoying by being the source of same.

Lee

[Eeyore]

I think that term is still used Lee, anytime a trucker or rig has to return without a load.
Trivia is always welcome.

[Dumbo]

I've seen that term only once, when I did some computer work for the BLE (Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers) and they shipped me off to Sarnia. The union head, if I recall right, said to deadhead to Sarnia. I never knew what it meant so I just laughed and pretended to understand. So I guess now I know after all these years.