How To Prune and Deadhead in Summer for Fall Color
Give your shrubs and perennials some summer attention with these tips and techniques to prune and deadhead to revive them and keep them blooming into the fall.
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Anyone feeling that mid-summer gardening slump feeling like, “whatever” when it comes to dealing with the garden and all the heat? I know I fight this every year, but I also know that if I take an hour or so (or a bunch of 15 minute time slots) in August to do a little deadheading and pruning of my flowers I will reap the benefits of potentially months more of blooms.
With that in mind, I’m sharing how to prune and deadhead your shrubs and perennials so that they will continue to bloom for you well into the fall.
Do you prune back and remove spent flowers (aka, “deadheading”) routinely for your shrubs and perennials in the summer?
Did you know there are some plants that if you cut them back now they will bloom more for you – and if you don’t, they won’t?
I didn’t for many years, but when I realized I could have more fall blooms without planting more, I started to make it a point to get out in the garden at the end of July and into August to clean up a bit and prune for that fall color!
Bonus: trimming and removing any browning foliage also helps to revive the garden and keeps it looking good for all those warm summer days you have left to enjoy.
How to Prune and Deadhead Perennials and Shrubs in Summer
Supplies Needed
Luckily, this is a project that doesn’t require more than clippers, gloves and a bucket to collect your clippings.
- Deadheading is usually a bit more delicate than all-out pruning, so I really like this multi-snip tool that I discovered last spring for this garden chore.
- Regular by-pass pruners also work, too, so use whatever you have.
- I bought these gloves last spring, since I always go through 1-2 pairs in a season (from holes in the fingertipsā¦) and I’m surprised how lightweight they are, but how sturdy. I haven’t even put holes in the fingertips of the first pair yet – which means I have extra pairs available for any garden helpers I may recruit.
Definitions
- Deadheading means to remove the spent blossoms from plants.
- Pruning refers to removing any part of the plant, from large to small, but what we’re doing in summer is small, simply cutting back some of the plant and trimming to make it look good.
General Pruning and Deadheading Tips
Where to cut spent blooms
For most of your perennials and shrubs that have bloomed or are continuing to bloom, all you need to do is to clip off the spent blossoms = “deadhead.”
There are two things to think about to know where to cut the dead blossom:
- You can cut it back to the first new growth you see, like the buddleia (butterfly bush) shown above. Those new shoots on the sides will produce new blossoms, keeping this compact variety (Lo & Behold ‘Ice Chip’) blooming into the fall.
- OR you can cut it back further to keep it in check for the area you have it planted, which would be more of a pruning. Still look for new growth, but farther down on the stems toĀ keep the plant from growing too big or to help it stay a more pleasing shape.
Clipping and Snipping
You’ll also have plants like the daylily pictured above that have dead flower stalks as well as dead leaves. Taking the time to remove the browning, dead leaves as well as deadheading the flower stalks goes a long way to helping your garden look good into the fall.
Some varieties of daylilies, like Stella d’Oro, will continue to bloom if the dead stalks are removed, but most other varieties will be done blooming, though they will continue providing grass-like foliage as a backdrop to the garden.
Shearing
For perennials that are covered with smaller blooms, like hardy geranium, the easiest way to remove all the spent blossoms is to simple shear the entire plant back.
How to shear: Grab sections with your hand and cut the entire section off, going around the plant until most of the spent blooms are gone. It won’t look it’s best for a week or two, but will soon put out new growth and more blooms.
Hydrangeas
Hydrangea Before.
After midsummer pruning.
For established hydrangeas, the heavy blossoms may be causing the plant to bend and dip, leaving the tops bare. It’s the perfect time to clip the oldest blossoms off, especially those at the bottom, allowing the leaves to spring back into position.
If you grow any of the reblooming hydrangeas, like Endless Summer, they will continue to send out new blossoms for you.
The best part of pruning hydrangeas in summer is collecting all the blooms and filling the house with vases of fresh flowers!
Roses
Cut blossoms for best regrowth
You’ve probably been deadheading individual rose blooms as they’ve been blooming the past few months, but making sure to cut back to a five-leaf junction, where new growth and blooms will come from, will help your shrub to bloom faster.
Prune out any diseased parts
You’ll also want to cut back to new growth in order to cut off any diseased leaves and stems, (like I obviously have on some of my roses – if you live in the Pacific Northwest, every rose will get blackspotā¦).
This not only makes it look better, but it helps stop the spread of any disease to the new growth.
Have any tips to share? Any plants you’ve found that respond well to deadheading, shearing, or pruning at mid-season? Let me know in the comments!
Love these posts — I learn so much! I thought that first photo looked familiar; I have a Lo & Behold Lilac Chip that I just love. I’ve read that it’s “self-cleaning,” but I ‘m not sure just what “they” mean by that as it looks dreadful unless the browned blooms are snipped off. Plus, I sure wish I knew whether my hydrangea is of the re-blooming persuasion. All I know for sure is that it’s a mophead and that it’s pretty old (like maybe 30+ years?). I’ll try pruning off some of the older spent blooms in the next few days. This heat is just blanching those gorgeous blue purple flowers.
I’m so glad this was helpful, Beth! The reblooming hydrangeas are a newer hybrid (last 10-15 years I think…), so if yours is that old, you can bet it’s a regular hydrangea that blooms on old wood. Prune the blooming stalks down low after they’ve bloomed (or when you cut them to bring inside!) and wait to tip-prune the rest until late winter down to a bud for shaping.
Thanks so much for the advice — I’m getting to learn all this stuff much later in life than I would’ve liked, but at least I’m getting to do this!
I love to deadhead and also can’t resist picking friends or dr offices! š love your blog!!! Ps.. I’m thinking the commenter above is referring to creeping phlox..
Great tips! I have dwarf flocks. They have stopped blooming. I am not sure if they are seed heads or buds. Can you give me an idea of what to do?
What are “flocks” Lynn? I don’t think I’ve heard of it.
To
An Oregon Cottage
Today at 11:02 AM
Ha Ha I meant phlox
Oh, sorry, I should’ve figured that out! Hmm, I’ve only grown creeping or tall phlox, but I’m thinking the dwarf is the same. After they bloom, you do need to cut off the spent bloom. If you look close enough, you can usually tell if they’re seed heads or buds. Seed heads are usually crisp, brown, and/or empty – buds are soft and new. Does that help?
Can I plant potatoes now for a Fall/Winter harvest?
It depends on your last frost date, Jim. If it’s late October and you pick a quick-maturing potato (like Yukon Gold), you may be able to. At least harvest some new potatoes! Prime time to plant them for fall is June-July.
I’m terrible at deadheading. Jami, you need to come visit with your pruning shears. š Great post as always!
It’s because of all the other stuff you’ve got going on around you, probably. š
Thank you for this timely reminder… I never think of this until too late! I just went out and sheared a bed of very tall cosmos – I haven’t done this before because I hate to “waste” the good flowers caught in there with the deadheads, and who has time to sort them all on prolific bloomers. So this time, I just picked up the pile and stuck the whole thing in a big jug in a shady corner against my back fence, where I can see it from the kitchen window – beautiful! (And I’m sure the peppers that were getting covered by leggy cosmos will be happier too : )
Great idea, Suz! I’ve never thought to do that – I’m going to steal that idea. š
So worth it! It’s almost a week later and the jug of cosmos is still looking good! Just changed the water out a few times..
Your garden is so dreamy Jami! I love the rock boarder around the flowers. Itās so charming. The slump is certainly real around this time of year. This is super helpful to me because I never really thought to spend the time cleaning out my daylilies after removing the spent blooms. Itās seems obvious, but I just leave them and they donāt always look the prettiest. This is the perfect afternoon garden task! Iām pretty good at deadheading flowers. Iām definitely guilty of doing it in my friends and familyās yards when I go to visit. Iām that girl that canāt help but clean up the petunias, even if theyāre outside my doctorās office. Thanks for the tips š
Oh my gosh, that’s so funny, Angie – cleaning up other’s flowers! š
And thank you – I’m honored you like our garden since I know yours to be full of gorgeous flowers!
I’m a die hard dead-header, just came in from an hour of snipping here and there. One question for you, what about the white, I think they are, Shasta Daisies? They bloom and then die off in about two weeks. any thoughts on deadheading and when? I’m currently wishing I’d have put in Black Eyed Susans, which seem to bloom all summer! I’ll work on my hydrangea tomorrow, lots of heavy blossoms on the ground. Oh, do you also get powdery mildew on things? It seems to be the curse of the Willamette Valley (Eugene). It killed an absolutely beautiful begonia already and nothing I did seemed to be able to stop it! Cheers, happy snipping!
Oh, I pulled all my shasta daisies for that very reason, Barb! Well, that and the smell – they don’t even make good cut flowers and the foliage isn’t all that interesting like daylilies. There may be some newer varieties that rebloom, but classic shasta’s don’t. I always just cut them off at one level to get rid of the dead flowers.
Love, love black-eyed susan’s – you won’t be sorry if you plant them!
Yes to powdery mildew! It’s especially bad in the spring and fall, but almost every clematis I have gets it, as well as other plants here and there. I try not to water at night and just at the base to try and keep the leaves dry, but I don’t think it helps much, you’re right about that!
I’m definitely in the “whatever state of mind right now” Thank you for getting me motivated. I want to get out there and prune for Fall color now. I love when the flowers look great in September and October.
I know! That’s about my only motivation right about now. š
I will admit it, I’m really bad about taking the time to deadhead flowers. I’m better about the roses and hydrangea but the other flowers not so much. It’s all those little deadheads you have to cut off that just seem like so much work. But when I do take the time the garden looks so much better. You’ve inspired me to get out there on this nice cooler day and spend some time tidying up the garden. š
I know – I’m with you Shel! But after awhile all the brown starts to bug me and I know it will look so much better if I just DO it. š