Dead-Heading Question

loco-colo

If you are dead-heading plants - let us say Primroses as they are in bloom at the moment.

I follow the stem down as far as I can without breaking anything else and then pinch it out - think this is correct method - However my question is about leaves.

Sometimes you have leaves that have simply rotted - I pinch these out entirely - But if you have a leaf that feels fairly strong and robust .. but has gone yellow on parts of it .. or if one half of it is damaged - should you pinch it out entirely of just cut off the damaged part - will it grow back - I don't like wasting any possible source of growth. Thanks.

J Cheevor Loophole

If its a Primrose for instance, it most likely won't repeat flower this year, so you can be fairly ruthless and cut to the bone after flowering, and it will regenerate. You can't apply that rule to every plant for every season. But dead heading sends a message to most flowering plants to produce more blooms and so you have the right idea.

loco-colo

Thanks - But I am not talking about after flowering - I am talking about when they are just starting or in their prime - My question probably is not about dead-heading as much about cutting off damaged leaves or just cutting off the damaged parts of the leaves - will the leaf regenerate or should it be nuked if it is not perfectly healthy and green? Thanks.

macraignil

loco-colo wrote: »

Thanks - But I am not talking about after flowering - I am talking about when they are just starting or in their prime - My question probably is not about dead-heading as much about cutting off damaged leaves or just cutting off the damaged parts of the leaves - will the leaf regenerate or should it be nuked if it is not perfectly healthy and green? Thanks.

I have been growing primroses for years with no dead heading or leaf pruning so it is not necessary to do either. The plant will naturally produce new flowers and fresh new leaves with no interference. I did a quick internet search when I saw your post and you can dead head and trim old leaves if you like but I have never bothered and would reckon the plant could still take nutrients back out of old damaged leaves if they are not trimmed off so by doing so you may put them at a disadvantage. If they do look untidy trimming them to tidy them up would probably not do them much harm but the internet article I found mentioned giving them fertiliser while they are growing as well and I haven't bother with that either.

my3cents

I'd only dead head flowers that are know for producing large seed heads for example daffodils because of the amount of energy the plant can waste producing the seeds or need to be prevented from producing seed because it prevents further flowering for example sweet peas.

loco-colo

Thanks mac and my3c.

Lumen

I stopped dead heading my hydrangeas as I read that the dead head provides frost protection for the new bud.

I don't know whether this is true, but it's saved me hours of boring effort so I'm sticking with it.

my3cents

Lumen wrote: »

I stopped dead heading my hydrangeas as I read that the dead head provides frost protection for the new bud.

I don't know whether this is true, but it's saved me hours of boring effort so I'm sticking with it.

They can look nice too.

New Home

I pick them in spring when they look like skeletons leaves (well, petals) and put them in a vase. They look stunning.