Why deadhead annuals?
All plants want to survive. Since annuals only live one year, they survive by producing flowers, which then produce seeds, which keeps the species going. Theyll put all their energy into trying to get that seed to mature. Stop this process by cutting off the fading flower heads. Since youve stopped the seed-maturing process, the plant will respond by producing more flowers. Pansies, for example, will last much longer into the heat of summer if you deadhead them regularly. Why deadhead perennials? Okay, thats why we deadhead annuals. But why should you deadhead perennials? Perennials also try to survive by producing more seeds. But since they come back next year anyway, we really dont need them to produce seeds. However, deadheading perennials will occasionally produce more flowers in the same season. Perennials such as Phlox, delphiniums, foxglove, gaillardia and daisies will usually produce more flowers after deadheading. More importantly, deadheading will also force perennials to sen
