If you want your verbenas to bloom for many years, you can grow them as perennials and use them as bedding plants.
How hard it is to take care of your verbena plants will depend on the type you choose and where you put them.
Perennial verbena is usually a lower-maintenance choice that doesn’t need much care, and you probably won’t even want to deadhead them.
Verbena is treasured for its long-lasting clusters of colorful blooms that paint gardens and containers all summer long. But does this carefree plant actually require deadheading to keep performing at its peak? Let’s examine when and why deadheading benefits verbena.
A Primer on Deadheading Verbena
Deadheading refers to removing spent flowers that have faded, dried up, or died. It redirects the plant’s energy from seed production into forming new buds and blooms. For many flowering plants, diligent deadheading sustains floral displays longer.
Verbena blooms arise on tall inflorescence stems. As each flower fades, the entire cluster becomes unattractive. Deadheading the spent inflorescences tidies up plants and makes way for fresh blooms. It also prevents self-seeding, which some gardeners consider a nuisance.
To deadhead verbena, use pruners or scissors to snip off the faded flower clusters just above leaf nodes or new side shoots. Make cuts at an angle to avoid moisture buildup.
Annual Varieties: Deadheading is Optional
Popular annual verbenas technically don’t require deadheading. Bred for prolifically blooming all summer without intervention, many new hybrids will bloom steadily whether deadheaded or not. Shearing back leggy growth is sufficient.
However, deadheading certainly enhances their appearance. Removing ratty, expired blooms keeps plants looking neat and encourages new blooms that will continue the floral show longer into the season. It also prevents unwanted reseeding
So deadheading annual verbenas is optional but recommended for maximum beauty. At minimum, periodically shear back gangly stems to force bushy, compact growth habit.
Perennial Varieties: Deadhead for Best Performance
Unlike carefree annuals, perennial verbenas like ‘Homestead Purple’ perform best with routine deadheading. Allowing spent blooms to linger drains energy and decreases total flowering.
Perennial verbenas bloom in cycles based on conditions like day length. Deadheading at the end of each bloom cycle triggers a flush of new buds that sustain seasonal interest. Shearing back foliage also rejuvenates plants.
For perennial verbenas, diligent deadheading and occasional shearing is key to prolonging blooms across the growing season. Otherwise plants can become sparse and straggly after the initial spring flush.
The Takeaway: Deadhead for Maximum Impact
Deadheading isn’t strictly necessary for verbenas, especially new hybrid annual varieties bred for continual flowering. But removing spent blooms will keep plants looking fresh and encourage repeat blooming.
Think of deadheading as maximizing verbena’s potential. The small effort pays off in fuller, neater plants blanketing themselves in blossoms. Perennial verbenas especially benefit from regular deadheading coupled with occasional rejuvenating cuts.
So while not mandatory, get into the habit of routinely deadheading verbena. You’ll be rewarded with vivid, endless flowers gracing your garden or containers. See how much more verbena has to give when sustained with simple deadheading.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deadheading Verbena
Below are answers to some common questions about deadheading verbena plants:
How often should I deadhead verbena?
Deadhead verbena as often as spent blooms appear, usually every 1-2 weeks. Annuals may need less deadheading than heavy-blooming perennials.
Should I cut back verbena flowers or the whole stem?
Just snip off the spent flower cluster, leaving healthy leaves and buds lower on the stem. Removing entire stems can reduce blooms.
When’s the best time to deadhead verbenas?
Deadhead verbenas in the morning after dew dries but before the day warms up. Avoid deadheading in wet conditions which can spread disease.
Can I deadhead verbenas in fall?
Yes, continue deadheading frosts will kill foliage. Fall deadheading encourages any last blooms before dormancy.
Do I need special tools to deadhead verbenas?
Small pruning shears or scissors work fine. Clean tools with diluted alcohol to prevent transmitting diseases between plants.
Should I fertilize verbenas after deadheading them?
Applying all-purpose fertilizer after deadheading helps fuel new growth and blooms. Use 1/2 strength liquid feed or per label instructions.
With the basics of deadheading verbena covered, you can help your plants put on a sensational floral display this season. Just grab those pruners and get snipping!
Deadheading To Prolong Flowering
When should you deadhead? The first time may be in the spring or early summer, just after the first blooms have started to fade.
The plants will focus on making seeds if you don’t remove the dead flowers now. They might not bear any more flowers.
So, if you want more flowers later in the summer, now might be a good time to deadhead or cut back.
Many gardeners who have planted bedding verbena will take this approach.
Of course, this isn’t necessary. If you planted hardier verbena in a wilder, more natural, low-maintenance garden, you might just want to let the plants grow as they normally would.
Should You Deadhead Verbena?
There are different types of verbena that grow in different places and at different times of the year, so it depends on your gardening style and what you think is best for the plants.
Deadheading verbena is typically an approach which aims to prolong the flowering period.
It is also used to prevent plants from self-seeding and growing out of control.
Some gardeners may prefer to deadhead to keep their garden looking neat.
But deadheading stops plants from going through their natural life cycle, which can mean you miss out on seedlings and isn’t always good for wildlife in your garden.
If you’re not sure if deadheading verbena is right for you and your garden, it might help to look at two different times when it is sometimes suggested that you do it.