My Garden

Deadheading - "mission accomplished" signals regional?

Last post 19-08-2009 4:07 PM by JamesA. 2 replies.

• 19/08/2009 09:49 AM

  JamesA Location: Peterborough Joined on: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 160

  Reply | Contact With deadheading I was wondering if the laymans idea of a "mission accomplished" signal that the plant sends when it has seeded is for the whole plant or the region of the plant? i.e. if you miss the deadheads on a hard to reach section would that just stop that section flowering or the whole plant? If there are no such signals, is it just a case of the amount of food available for the plant can't cover flowering and seeding. Will the plant always evenly distribute the nutrients through the capillary action of the water? Does this all depend on what plant/shrub it is? If you've got too far behind with deadheading of a bush would it work to get some shears out and trim everything off? Could this cause it to re-flower? (There are plenty of sites telling you to deadhead, but I'm struggling to find links to the science behind it)

• 19/08/2009 12:12 PM

  In reply to

  BB Location: Hereford Joined on: 12 May 2009 Posts: 573

  Reply | Contact Hi JamesA, Deadheading stops the plants setting seed and so it will keep producing flowers to try and set seed. If you leave some deadheads on, it has succeeded in setting seed and will cease flower production. This applies to the plant as a whole not just sections of the plant. Of course this only applies to certain flowering plants. Some plants will only produce one flush of flowers no matter how much deadheading you do. See link:- http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51453181.tip.html BB

• 19/08/2009 04:07 PM	In reply to
  JamesA Location: Peterborough Joined on: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 160	Reply | Contact Looks like I'll be slashing through the jungle to get those ones at the back then