This morning I was planting my asters along the side of my house and I popped the flower heads off the plants, so they will bush out and put on a better show later.
My mom always did this when I was a kid and I used to get so upset with her that she was "ruining" the flowers.
There may have been a few tears shed. On my part.
Now I do the exact same thing.
This time around, I grabbed their decapitated heads up and, in true blogger fashion, said "Hey, won't these make a pretty photo!".
Then spent 20 minutes arranging them in a "natural" looking pile.
How To Pinch Annuals To Promote Growth:
- pinch or cut off the flowers right above the node (where the leaves attach to the stem)
- this will help your plant to branch out below that point and create a fuller plant with more blooms
- it's really that simple, but makes all the difference in the world
Additional Tips For Planting Annuals:
- when taking the plants out of the nursery packs, loosen the roots - I normally stick my thumb in the bottom of the plant and splay out the roots a bit
- when digging your hole, dig it larger than needed and loosen the soil around the hole, so the roots will have a easier time growing outward
- plant your annual at the same depth as they were growing in container
BTW, I pop the heads off marigolds, pansies and geraniums also. It's not just asters that I abuse.
Off with their heads!
So what are you doing this wonderful SUMMER weekend? Popping the heads off anything?
The Old Parsonage
I've never heard about doing that - if it's for the greater good, than I'm all in!!!
bielizna nocna
Oh my lovely flowers. I'm not so talented in gardening - my flowers usually die 😀
Kerin
A necessary gardening evil 🙂
I dead-head all my flowers too. With my marigolds, I scatter the seed heads on top of the soil, and they keep re-seeding all summer long .
Have a great day.
K.
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
Beautiful flower colors...and I'll have to try the hint!
Musings from Kim K.
Chris does the same thing and it pains me to see the blooms all over. We spent almost the entire weekend outside. Aside from weeding, it was glorious. PS. I now have furniture for the garden shed and I finished decorating it. My mother gave me her sister's vintage rod iron porch furniture. It's perfect. A big reveal coming later this week. I think I've found my new hideout.
ThrifterSisters
Thanks for the head popping tip, Pam. I will have to pass that on to our resident gardener (not me). Brian planted tons of stuff yesterday and is going to do some more today. He just doesn't know it. Yet. I love Asters! I think I'll go get him some. He'll be so excited.
And don't think that I just sit around while he is doing all this hard work. I am the Project Manager & Clean Up Committee 🙂
Have an awesome day!
Erica
Olive
Gosh, I dead head most everything Pam. With my fingers or with my little garden shears. Its blooming hot here now so i have to keep up!
TARYTERRE
I was in bed sick today. Feeling better now. LOVE the colorful flower heads. Pretty, indeed. And I do the same thing.
Pam Kessler
Glad you're feeling better!
Ida
Well I never thought about doing that when I first get my plants. Rather I've always pruned them as the blooms begin to die off. Your mix of blooms together is really pretty.
Melinda
Dodging rain drops to family activities.
Cute post, such vibrant colors.
M : )
Joanne Noragon
I made the most delicious little carnation the center of one of my hanging baskets, and I dead-head it every morning, just to smell the cinnamon of all the little flowers I am rooting among.
mzzbev
LOL great post and great tip! I never knew that which explains my brown thumb 😉
awal.ny
I am weeding and planting. Do you do the same with mums? Mine are already growing even though we see them in the fall the most. Have a wonderful weekend. Alaina
Pam Kessler
You are supposed to do that with mums also so that they get bushier. Plus people say to keep popping the blooms off until the end of July so they'll be blooming in the fall instead of the summer. But for the ones I've had in the ground a few years I've just let them go and two of them magically bloom at the right time and the other one is pretty much in continual bloom from July through October.