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Gardening

Do you deadhead petunias/surfinias?

(23 Posts)
ExDancer Thu 18-Aug-22 13:56:55

I go round with my little scissors and snip the dead heads off my petunias every day, but I notice a large Council display down the road is never tended. Yet it's a much better display than mine.
Am I buying the wrong plants, or are there little council elves coming out at dead of night and snipping away unseen?

GrannyGravy13 Thu 18-Aug-22 14:06:26

We have petunias in our hanging baskets and I dead head them daily, some days twice.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 18-Aug-22 14:07:00

Here is one

henetha Thu 18-Aug-22 14:17:46

Yes, always deadhead everything.

Kalu Thu 18-Aug-22 14:26:33

Constantly but I find it therapeutic. Don’t snip, just pull the dead flower heads off.

shysal Thu 18-Aug-22 15:13:16

I grow Tidal Wave petunias, past their best in this hot weather. They are F1 hybrids which don't set seed therefore don't need dead heading. However I do pull off the dead petals on those near the house because they offend me.
I also find general dead-heading therapeutic. Made the mistake of doing the pink flowered strawberries once, hence no fruit!!

starshine Thu 18-Aug-22 17:21:57

I'm never sure whether I should snip to the stem or just pull petals away from the base. Is there a best way to produce more flowers or doesn't it matter? I have always snipped but find it a tedious chore. The only bit of gardening I don't like!

Rosie51 Thu 18-Aug-22 17:45:03

If the plant sets seed it's best to snip the stem behind the dead flower. If they don't set seed like shysal's petunias then you only need to pull the dead petals off, although some plants naturally drop them saving you the effort.

PollyDolly Thu 18-Aug-22 17:50:50

Yes, deadheading, promotes more buds and flowers and ultimately lengthens the flowing season. I think you'll find that the council flower beds are deadheaded, I know ours are.

JackyB Thu 18-Aug-22 19:08:36

I have petunias in window boxes - I think they are great. I certainly do deadhead them though - they would look a sorry sight otherwise. I sometimes put it off for too long because I don't like touching their stickiness. This entails putting gloves on and get a bucket with some water in it. I have to dampen my fingers in the bucket to get the deadheads off as they stick.

Oopsadaisy1 Thu 18-Aug-22 21:21:14

Mine haven’t been sticky this year, maybe it’s something to do with the heat?

ExDancer Fri 19-Aug-22 10:23:20

Mine have always been sticky Oopsadaisy, i thought they Al were.
Tidal Wave sound interesting Shysal - I'll go and look them up right away and see where to buy some next year.

Daisymae Fri 19-Aug-22 10:32:13

I tend to avoid petunias nowadays. The right begonias fall off themselves when they've had enough. Genius!

ExDancer Fri 19-Aug-22 10:41:05

Unlike some of you I detest deadheading! I also detest weeding which some people find therapeutic too.

shysal Fri 19-Aug-22 11:26:32

ExDancer

Mine have always been sticky Oopsadaisy, i thought they Al were.
Tidal Wave sound interesting Shysal - I'll go and look them up right away and see where to buy some next year.

I have to buy online, J. Parkers have garden ready large plugs. They need space because they climb and trail, but I like the profusion. Obviously out of season, but some info here:
www.jparkers.co.uk/petunia-climbing-tidal-wave-garden-ready-collection-1

Esmay Fri 19-Aug-22 11:35:14

Cut with sharp scissors to just above the next leaves .

If the Council display looks healthier - they might be a newer more prolific variety or enjoying a slow release fertiliser .

Give them a tonic.

In our mini High Street the Council displays are left to the weeds and to dry up .

If I lived over one of the shops or worked in one I'd be on a rescue mission .

Fleurpepper Fri 19-Aug-22 16:34:42

Yes, I dead head everything, and Chelsea chop too. Only way to guarantee a very long flowering season.

fairfraise Fri 19-Aug-22 17:22:28

Slightly off topic do you all deadhead your phlox. Mine have dried up and shrivelled and I think I might as well cut them off. They usually look good for a few weeks but right now look awful.

Fleurpepper Fri 19-Aug-22 18:15:42

I have many different colours, and they flower at different times. Currently, the white ones are doing well, pink ones of various shades long gone. I don't dead head them as there is normally no time for them to flower again. Just cut all down to ground late autumn.

jeanie99 Fri 19-Aug-22 21:50:26

Yes

Mapleleaf Sat 20-Aug-22 15:40:26

Yes, I deadhead my petunias, I just pull off the dried up blooms rather than snip them with secateurs, though. They’re flowering really well, so I’m assuming it helps.

JackyB Sat 20-Aug-22 19:09:40

I cut through the stems with my fingernail just below the dead blooms where possible. I found that with scissors, even tiny nail scissors, I would often cut off healthy, still flowering heads by mistake. Also, it took too long; I have half a bucket full every time from my three window boxes. (Don't do them every day, though)

Clematis46 Wed 24-Aug-22 16:43:06

I’ve grown petchoas for the last two summers. I think they’re a hybrid of petunias and calibrachoas (sp?) and they need minimal dead-heading. The downside is that the colour-range is fairly limited as I think that they’re a relatively recent introduction.