How to Deadhead Dianthus Flowers
Dianthus, characterized as an easy-to-grow plant, add beauty to landscapes of both novice and experienced gardeners. Dianthus plants produce bright pink and red flowers atop a mass of delicate, green foliage from spring until early fall. Regular deadheading of spent blooms increases the amount of flowers and extends the flowering season.
Item needed:
- Small garden shears or scissors
Instructions:
- Plant in well-drained soil and use a balanced fertilizer as needed. Dianthuses prefer a sunny location with at least four to five hours of sunlight each day. Planting dianthus plants in a shady spot significantly decreases bloom production.
- Inspect the plant regularly for spent blooms. Look for blooms that appear faded and wilted. Deadheading old blooms prevents reseeding and allows the plant to direct its energy to creating new blooms and fuller foliage.
- Look at the stem of the spent flower to determine if new blooms have developed lower on the stem. Use garden shears to cut the stem directly below the spent bloom when new blooms appear on the same stem, or grasp the stem with your thumb and forefinger directly below the spent flower and pinch it off.
- Cut stems of wilted blooms at the foliage line when no new blooms appear on it. Use garden shears to cut off the stem completely. Trimming off the stems maintains a tidy appearance on the plant.
Deadheading flowers on dianthus plants extends the blooming period to two to three flushes of blooms within a growing season. Trimming off the stems of spent blooms causes the stem to split and produce two different stems. Each stem makes its own bloom creating a fuller display of flowers.