These border plants benefit from a trim – heres how and when to do it successfully
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Q: This year I put a lot of phlox in my border, and they are flowering so beautifully. Is it a good idea to remove the spent flowers when the blooms end? If so, what is the best way to do it?
A: Phlox is a stunning garden addition with its prolific, sweetly-scented blooms. However, these flowers look unsightly once theyve passed their best, turning brown and withered on the plant. Snipping them off, therefore, improves the appearance of your floral display. But, thats not the only benefit of this gardening task. Deadheading allows the plants to channel their energy into new growth, highlights Autumn Hilliard-Knapp of Perfect Plants Nursery. This means you might get a second round of flowers later in the season, kind of like when you cut back salvias or dahlias. It also prevents them from self-seeding uncontrollably all around your yard.
Whats more, deadheading gives pollinators easier access to the remaining blooms, Autumn adds. And the process is simple, once you know how.
Autumn is a horticulture specialist and marketing professional at Perfect Plants Nursery. Since she has worked in horticulture for four years, she really wants to help people make their indoor and outdoor spaces look great. Her horticulture knowledge covers a wide range of tasks, such as choosing and caring for plants, designing and maintaining landscapes, and
The garden looks beautiful with white phlox (credit: Maksims Grigorjevs / iStock / Getty s Plus / Getty s).
With its clusters of fragrant blooms, phlox brings charm and color to summer gardens. As an added bonus, properly deadheading spent phlox flowers can encourage repeat blooming. Learn when and how to deadhead phlox for a season filled with flowers.
Why Deadhead Phlox Plants?
Deadheading is the process of removing faded blooms from a plant. For phlox, it provides several key benefits:
-
Encourages reblooming – Snipping off spent flowers tells the plant to produce new buds resulting in later additional flowering.
-
Improves appearance – Removing ugly, wilted flowers makes plants look tidier and healthier.
-
Prevents self-seeding – Deadheads stop seeds from forming and spreading phlox everywhere
-
Helps pollinators – With old flowers gone, pollinators can access fresh blooms more easily
When to Deadhead Garden Phlox
Monitor phlox plants regularly for faded flowers during peak bloom season. Deadhead as soon as you spot wilted or browning flowers. Don’t let them linger too long.
Plan to check and deadhead plants about once a week. This helps encourage steady rebloom rather than one big long-faded floral display. Consistent deadheading keeps plants looking fresh.
Deadheading can continue into fall until frost kills the foliage. At that point, leave any remaining seed heads for visual interest and wildlife food in winter.
How to Deadhead Phlox Step-By-Step
Deadheading phlox only takes a minute once you know how. Follow these simple steps:
1. Gather Tools
For deadheading, all you need are a pair of hand pruners or gardening snips. Select a pair that’s clean and sharp. This makes precise cuts without damaging stems.
2. Locate Spent Flowers
Examine phlox plants to spot clusters of faded, wilted, and browning flowers. Also watch for flower heads with dispersed petals.
3. Snip Below Flowers
Position pruners or snips at an angle just below the spent flower cluster. Make the cut above a leaf node or emerging bud.
4. Remove Spent Stems
If plants get leggy or floppy, cut back entire stems halfway after deadheading flowers. This neatens appearance.
5. Continue Monitoring
Keep checking weekly and remove additional deadheads as they appear. This encourages ongoing rebloom.
6. Water and Fertilize
Proper irrigation and fertilization ensures plants rebound after deadheading. Use tomato feed every couple weeks.
Extend Bloom Season
Along with deadheading, pinching or cutting back phlox in spring can delay flowering. Here are two effective techniques:
-
Spring pinch – In early spring, pinch off top tender new growth. This pushes back bloom time 4-6 weeks.
-
Chelsea chop – For a bigger delay, cut back stems by about half in late May. Flowers will arrive a month later.
Staggering plantings also spaces out the floral display. After deadheading finished plants, new phlox may kick in.
Stop Self-Seeding
Letting phlox go to seed can create seedling frenzy. Each flower head releases hundreds of tiny seeds that germinate readily.
Staying on top of deadheading prevents unwanted spread. Or, cut off stem tips once the very first flowers fade so no seeds develop.
In fall, remove last flowers to curb self-sowing. Unless you don’t mind extra phlox plants, of course!
Boost Repeat Blooms
The key to more phlox flowers is prompt deadheading coupled with proper care. Make sure plants receive sufficient water and fertilizer to support reblooming.
Deadhead diligently, and your garden phlox will thank you with brighter, bolder floral displays that last well into fall. Just a bit of time invested in removing spent blooms keeps plants looking their best while producing more flowers.
How to deadhead phlox
To cut off the flower heads of phlox, you can use snips or hand pruners. Make sure they are clean and sharp. A common deadheading mistake that you should try to avoid is using dirty or blunt tools. This could hurt your plant.
Identify the clusters of faded flowers, then snip them off. Make your cuts at an angle, above a healthy leaf joint or bud, just below the spent bloom. According to gardening expert John Negus, you can cut your plants back even more, by about half of their size, if they have gotten tall and wispy and are leaning over.
Side shoots will be encouraged to form, says John, and these can flower later on in the season.
After deadheading, ensure proper watering and fertilization to encourage new blooms, recommends David Cohen, the CEO of Badais International – a wholesale supplier of flowers and plants.
John advises using a high-potash tomato feed every fortnight during the growing season. Try Miracle-Gros tomato food from Amazon, which is well-rated amongst gardeners.
Fiskars Micro-Tip Pruning Snips | $13. 10 from Amazon These ergonomically designed snips are great for making clean cuts when deadheading phlox. You can also use them to take care of other plants in your borders and pots.
John has been writing about gardens for more than 50 years, and in Amateur Gardening magazine, he often answers readers’ questions. He has also written four books and has delivered many talks over the years on horticulture.
When to deadhead phlox
Like when you remove the spent flowers from dianthus, coneflowers, or any other garden plant, you should do the same thing with phlox when it blooms. So, ideally, check your plants weekly for dead blooms, and remove them as soon as possible.
Ensure you use clean pruners to deadhead plants( credit: Oleksandr Rado / Alamy Stock Photo)
Deadhead Your Phlox For MORE FLOWERS!
FAQ
Does garden phlox need to be deadheaded?
How do you keep phlox blooming all summer?
Should you Deadhead Phlox flowers?
A sweet, heavenly scent. Phlox will reseed itself so there need never be a year without these lovely flowers. Deadheading phlox blooms will prevent much of that reseeding. Removing phlox flowers that are spent has this benefit and a few others as well. Some gardeners deadhead phlox flowers to confine the spread of the plant.
How do you cut Phlox?
Make your cut slightly above the first developing bud below the dead bloom. Phlox is a vintage plant that can grow tall, or low as a functional groundcover. Use clean, sharp shears to cut blooming stems freely from your phlox for indoor arrangements throughout the summer. Prune spent bloom stems down to ground level if new buds aren’t present.
How do you care for a phlox plant?
Ensure your phlox receives at least six hours of direct sunlight each day for optimal growth and flowering. Pruning and dividing: In addition to deadheading, it is beneficial to prune and divide phlox plants every few years. Pruning helps to maintain a compact shape and remove any dead or diseased growth.
What is deadheading Phlox?
Deadheading refers to the removal of spent flowers or flower heads from a plant. Here are some reasons why deadheading phlox can be beneficial: Prolonged blooming: Phlox is known for its beautiful clusters of flowers that bloom throughout the summer.
How often should you Deadhead a phlox plant?
Repeat deadheading: Deadheading is not a one-time task. Phlox plants will continue to produce new flowers throughout the growing season, and you should regularly deadhead to encourage more blooms. Aim to deadhead every 1-2 weeks or as needed, depending on the rate of flower fading.
How do you Deadhead Phlox?
Deadhead phlox after blooming is complete. Cut the stems back to the lowest set of healthy leaves. Cut stems at a slight angle. Clean and disinfect your pruning tools between plants. Fertilize the garden phlox after pruning. Monitor plants for signs of disease or insect damage. What is the best time of year to deadhead garden phlox?