Sometimes to keep your plants blooming, you have to be deceptive. Dead-heading is a long-established practice by gardeners and those trying to keep their potted plants looking their best throughout the summer, but the methodology can be boiled down to lying to your plants.
"You're really just removing spent flowers," says Tom Kasper. After a flower is done procreating, it gets the idea their job is complete, and it starts shutting down. If you remove the flowers that are done blooming, clipping them below where the seeds form will suggest to the plant that they still need to produce.
It's a trickster's task, but it will aid in keeping your flowers looking healthy all summer long.
Tips for Hardy Gardeners can be heard every other Tuesday morning on Northland Morning.
