Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants

Pruning, Pinching, and Deadheading Perennial Plants

Pruning, Pinching, and Deadheading Perennial Plants

Pruning, pinching, and deadheading perennial plants: It’s what you’ve gotta do if you want your ornamental garden looking and feeling great.  Keep it right here to learn the tactics and their benefits.

I’m new to gardening.  I’ve pointed out this fact many times before.  It’s stated in this site’s tagline – “New Adventures in Gardening… etc, etc.” it says.  New adventures, indeed.  Last year, when these adventures began, my aim was to load up my zone 5B/6A garden with a bunch of great looking, zero-maintenance perennials.  Just plant ’em, water ’em, and watch ’em grow.  Right?

(You may be telling yourself that nobody could be that stupid.  Trust me, I was that stupid.)

So the adventures really began when I realized that I was going to have to actually do stuff to these plants, besides water them.  I found, through both my early forays into plant research and my early firsthand experience, that in order to make sure that I could watch them grow and be great looking, these plants would need to be dealt with.

Many types of perennial plants, in order to look and feel great, need to be pruned, pinched and/or deadheaded.  And for the plants that benefit from this type of attention, it really is an adventure – a time-consuming, tedious, sometimes-physically-uncomfortable adventure.  So what are pruning, pinching, and deadheading?  And if they’re such a pain in the ass, why do them?

In this article, I’ll explain what it means to prune, pinch, and deadhead a perennial plant and why it’s beneficial to do so. (Hint:  You do want cool looking plants, right?)  I’ll also explain how and when to perform each of these activities.  And, for further clarification and perspective, I’ll explain this information with respect to some of the specific plants in my garden.

Pruning Perennial Plants

Pruning refers to the physical removal of all or part of an individual plant’s aerial (above-ground and visible) stems, branches, shoots, and/or foliage (leaves) through the use of a cutting implement.

Why Prune a Perennial Plant?  Generally, pruning is done to help the plant attain a desirable form, shape, and/or size.  By cutting stems or branches in strategic locations, usually just above (past) a node(s), new growth can be encouraged from that node(s) at the point of cutting.  A node holds at least one leaf and buds (which grow into branches with more leaves and/or flowers), and is located immediately above the base of a leaf (on the top part of the junction of the leaf to the stem).  By cutting a plant in this way, more branching stems can grow, each with its own leaves and nodes, and the plant can be “shaped” according to the locations of the cuts.  But pruning can also be done for many other reasons.  For example, it can be effected in order to stimulate new unlocalized overall growth in a plant, or to decrease the chances of a plant with long stems sustaining seasonal damage.  A flowering plant can be pruned to stimulate a higher number of blooms.  Or a plant can be pruned all the way to the ground, or cut back) so it’s roots can benefit more effectively from seasonal dormancy.  Pruning is good for the health of the plant – cutting away overgrown branches and stems allows better air circulation and sunlight exposure for the plant.  And getting rid of dead or dying branches and stems diverts all of the plant’s energy to new and existing healthy growth.

So, there are lots of reasons to prune.  I’ll explain some of my specific reasons when I discuss the process of pruning some of my own plants.

How to Prune a Perennial Plant.  Depending on the type of plant, pruning can be done a number of different ways.  And, the amount of material which is removed can also depend on the type of plant being pruned.  As a rule of thumb, unless the plant is being cut back to the ground, the stems/branches are cut immediately after the location of a node, or nodes, on the plant’s stem and/or branches.  The amount of plant material removed through pruning, and the corresponding location of the cuts, can vary according to a number of different criteria (type of plant, reason for pruning, time of year, desired appearance, etc). 

As far as the cutting implement used in pruning is concerned, anything sharp, precise, and strong enough to cleanly cut through plant material is fine.  I use a Fiskars carbon steel bypass hand pruner.  It’s imperative that what you’re using is sharp.  The use of a dull blade to prune can cause bruising and unnecessary trauma and damage to the plant.  Note:  A critical step in the how-to’s of pruning is disinfecting the cutting implement.  At any time, any plant can be carrying a disease and/or be harboring harmful microorganisms.  In order to prevent transferring a potential problem to other plants in your garden, I highly recommend disinfecting the blades of your cutting implement.  I use a concentration of 70% isopropyl alcohol to dampen a soft cloth or paper towel and then wipe the blades down and let them dry.  I do this after I prune one plant and before I move on to prune the next one.  I do this not only when I’m pruning, but also when I’m pinching and deadheading – really, any time I’m making any kind of cut on one plant and then moving on to another.  This minor inconvenience is insignificant compared to the potential loss of your whole garden to a spreading disease or damaging parasite.

When to Prune a Perennial Plant.  For the purposes of this discussion, the optimal time to prune can be contingent on any number of factors – the type of plant being pruned, what the goal is for the plant’s upcoming behavior and growth, the desire for bloom creation, the plant’s dormancy period, the current season and weather conditions, etc.  As an example, if it was early spring, and I wanted to prune back a deciduous Summersweet bush, I’d do it at that time.  I’d do this because I know that it’s a flowering bush that sets its blooms on new wood in late spring/early summer.  If I were to wait until summer to prune it, I would lose all of the flowers that the plant had set to bloom in the summertime.  And, as my friend Heather at Beachside Gardens here in the Michiana Shores area has explained to me, late fall through early spring is a good time to prune because the plant is dormant and remains unstressed by the pruning process during that time.  (But just because a plant’s winter dormancy period is a good time to not stress it out, that doesn’t mean I’d go out to the yard and prune a bush in the middle of January to make sure it stays comfy.)  

Suffice it to say, pruning is a broad topic.  In terms of this article, the bottom line is that pruning removes all or part of the visible, above-ground growing parts, or aerial parts of the plant.  It’s good for the plant because it can encourage more growth and flowering, and help a plant develop and strengthen its root system.  And the way that it’s done and when it’s done can be dependent on any number of factors.

Fiskars SoftGrip Bypass Pruner.  If I had to pick one pruner – only one – to use for the duration of my gardening days, this’d be the one.  Mine has performed beautifully year after year, and has remained as sharp as a razor.  It’s got a 5/8” cutting gape, and amazing power, leverage, and precision.  Like I said, if I had to pick only one pruner, this’d be it.  When you’re pruning, pinching, and deadheading perennial plants, you’re going to need an unparalleled pruner.  This is definitely the one.  Click the #advertisement link to learn more, or to order it here, directly from Amazon.

Fiskars SoftGrip Bypass Pruner

Click here to learn more or to order

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My own Fiskars SoftGrip Bypass Pruner performs beautifully - it's powerful, precise, and reliable.

Fiskars PowerGear2 Bypass Pruner.  This amazing hand pruner has got an awesome 3/4” cutting gape and patented gearing technology that delivers unheard of power and leverage for a hand pruner.  My own pair has powered through season after season of pruning and chopping and has remained as razor-sharp and powerful as ever.  Click the #advertisement link to learn more, or to order one here, directly from Amazon.  It’s just as perfectly suited for pruning, pinching, and deadheading perennial plants as it is cutting down dead tree branches.  This is one amazing cutting tool.

Fiskars PowerGear2 Bypass Pruner

Click here to learn more or to order

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My own Fiskars PowerGear2 Bypass Pruner. Unheard of power, leverage, and cutting gape in a hand pruner, combined with unparalleled precision and control.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
Pruning shasta daisy stems to the basal foliage in autumn.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
This clump of phlox will be pruned down to its basal foliage at ground level.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
Pruning phlox in autumn.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
This Montauk Daisy was just pruned. Notice that the stem has been cut right above the node, visible at approximately the 11 o'clock position on the stem.
Not a good time to prune.

Pinching Perennial Plants

Pinching is actually a form of pruning.  It differs from pruning, as described above, in three main ways.  First, it’s a technique that’s usually performed on very young plants.  And although a mature plant can be pinched as well as pruned, a baby plant can only be pinched, not pruned.  Second, the amount of plant material removed is generally minimal – usually just the section of stem near the very top of the plant.  Third, as its name implies, it can usually be accomplished with no implements, just fingers.  So what is pinching exactly, and how is it done?  Pinching is a pruning technique that is used often on very young plants to encourage a bushier growth habit.  But it can be used on many mature established plants as well.  In the case of a young plant, as it grows vertically, it tends to initially grow in the form of a single, vertically rising stem, from one leaf and corresponding node (or set of leaves and corresponding nodes) to the next.  By pinching off this young stem at the tip, just above the top node(s), the growth of branching stems (each with its own leaves and nodes) is encouraged and the plant gets bushier.  Because the node(s) just below the point of the stem that’s been pinched off is now directing the plant’s energy into the production of branching stems and corresponding leaves and nodes, less of the plant’s energy will go into bloom production.  So for this young plant, this year’s individual blooms will be less substantial than a non-pinched plant.  It will, however, be much fuller and more robust with a much better base upon which to set the following year’s blooms.

How to Pinch a Perennial Plant.  Locate and select a leaf and corresponding node (or leaves and corresponding nodes) at or near the top of the young vertical stem.  The section of stem between nodes is called an internode (for more about nodes and internodes, please see my post, Naturalizing Perennials In The Garden Scheme).  Grasp the section of stem (internode) just above the node which you just selected, and pinch that section of the stem off.  That’s it. You’ve pinched this young plant and now it’s on its way to getting bushy and cool looking!  As a point of information, you don’t have to pinch the stem off with your fingers.  You can use a sharp cutting implement, as long as it allows you to carefully cut a small and delicate section of the plant’s stem.

When to Pinch a Perennial Plant.  This technique works well for very young plants,so pinching the ends of a plant is done early in its life cycle.  For mature flowering perennials, it’s best to prune and/or pinch in the few weeks prior to the plant setting it’s blooms.  This will ensure more plentiful, but possibly smaller individual blooms. 

On an interesting note, I’ve encountered some confusion regarding the use of the terms “pruning” and “pinching” with respect to mature, flowering perennials.  I’ve read and heard the terms used interchangeably.  For the purposes of this post, I’ll use the following differentiation to distinguish between the two terms:  If I’m removing three inches or less from the stems of a mature perennial, I’m pinching.  If I’m removing more than three inches, I’m pruning.  And, if I’m removing three inches or more from a two-inch tall plant, I’m uprooting.  Don’t do that.

So pinching is basically pruning that happens at or near the tips of the plant.  And, although it can be done on large and mature plants, it’s the only form of pruning that can be done on small, young plants in order to make them bushier and ultimately more “flowerful.”  And, with respect to the plants in my garden, if I use my definition to distinguish between pinching and pruning, I haven’t done any pinching.  I did recently remove approximately eight to twelve inches of altitude from my Hybrid Puff Asters.  Again, I’d call that pruning, not pinching.  But not everyone will agree with the semantics.

These True Blue Border Gentians will grow to almost two feet in height and will be about eighteen inches wide. They were planted in early May as tiny young plants, but are filling out and growing successfully without the need for pinching.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
I cut about eight inches of height off of this Aster. Did I prune it or pinch it? I say prune.

Deadheading Perennial Plants

Deadheading refers to the removal of spent (lifeless) flowers  and corresponding flower stems/stalks from the plant.  It’s cosmetically beneficial and has health and growth benefits for the plant.  How does it make the plant prettier and healthier?  In the next few paragraphs, I’ll outline a few basic components of a flowering plant’s anatomy and biology in order to help explain the effects and benefits of deadheading.

Flowering plants, or angiosperms, are the most diverse group of land plants on the planet.  Most or all of the perennial plants found in ornamental gardens, like mine, are angiosperms.  The reproductive center of an angiosperm is the flower.  The flower is directly supported by the flower stem (which can also be referred to as a flower stalk, petal stem, and/or petal stalk) which arises from the node(s).  Angiosperms have male and female reproductive organs which are located on and in the structure of the flower.  It is the female reproductive organ structures which are our concern here.  Specifically, one structure – the ovary.  This contains structures called ovules that, once fertilized (by a pollinating insect or bird), become seeds.  So the ovary, which is located within the structure of the flower, contains the developing seeds once that flower is pollinated.  The main takeaway:  the developing seeds are located within the structure of the flower.

It’s pretty easy to tell when a flower is spent.  The flower’s color fades.  The petals wither and drop to the ground.  By this time, the outer structures of the flower have done their job.  Those brightly-colored (and often heavily-scented) petals have attracted a pollinator and now the ovules have been fertilized and seeds are being produced within the ovary.  A spent flower indicates that seeds are being produced.

At this point, the plant is focused on producing seeds.  And seed production requires a huge amount of the plant’s energy – energy that would otherwise be used for growth and/or new flower formation.  So when a plant is producing seeds, its growth and flowering activity tends to drastically slow down.  But if the spent flowers – all parts of the spent flowers, including the flower stems/flower stalks – are removed at this point, the plant’s energy will instead be directed to the production of new shoots – growth that includes new stems, branches, leaves, nodes, and, in many cases, more flowers. 

So, it’s a good idea to deadhead your plants when their blooms are spent.  From the cosmetic standpoint, you’ll clear the plant of unattractive dead and dying flowers, plus, depending on the plant, you’ll ultimately encourage it to cover itself in more flowers.  And certainly, from the perspective of the plant’s overall health, you’ll be contributing to its ability to generate vigorous new growth.

How to Deadhead a Perennial Plant.  Although the specifics of deadheading may vary from one type of flowering perennial to the next, there are two basic points that are pretty universal.  First, make sure that the part of the plant that contains the seeds, namely the flower, is removed.  As outlined above, this diverts the plant’s energy to new growth and/or more flower production.  Second, make sure that the supporting structure of the flower – the flower stem/stalk – is removed down to the first full leaf and node (or first full set of leaves and nodes) in order to make sure that new shoots emerge from the node, thereby contributing to new growth and/or flower production.  So how do you do it?  It’s pretty basic.  Look at the spent flower, and then look at the stem/stalk that supports it.  Follow this stem/stalk down to the first full leaf or set of leaves.  Don’t worry if you can’t see the nodes – on some plants, they’re really tough to see, but they’re there.  Cut the stem/stalk at the point just above the leaves/nodes.  And you’re done.  Note: this process has a slight variation as it pertains to the deadheading of roses.  I’ll explain that variation a bit later.  If you familiarize yourself with the basic anatomy of your plants, deadheading them effectively should be a piece of cake.

When to Deadhead a Perennial Plant.  Deadheading a plant should be performed when its flowers are spent. A spent flower is easy to spot.  It’s usually faded, shrivelled, brown, or is dropping its leaves.  If one, some, or all of the above are happening with your flowers, it’s time to deadhead.  The presence of spent flowers, however, does not always automatically mean that the plant should be deadheaded.  Some plants do better at certain times of the year when they’re not deadheaded.  (Roses are an example of this type of plant).  So the time of year, as well as the type of plant, can determine whether or not it’s an appropriate time to deadhead.  And some plants, regardless of the season, do not benefit from deadheading.  For instance, there are some Clematis cultivars which are sterile.  They don’t produce seeds.  For such a plant, deadheading is unnecessary because it’s already directing all of its energy toward developing new growth and/or re-flowering, since it doesn’t need any seed-producing energy.  Another example of a plant that wouldn’t necessarily benefit from deadheading would be a large and mature flowering bush, which has already attained great size and sufficient growth.  In this case, it’s already huge and there’s no reason to divert it’s energy to more growth.  Further, assuming the bush in question is one of the many, many types of flowering bush that flowers only once a year, deadheading will not encourage any re-flowering.  Finally, the ifs and whens of deadheading may simply come down to personal preference.  You just might not want a bunch of brown, crappy-looking flowers all over your plants.  And you’re going to cut them off.  Damn the torpedoes!

Your plants win when they’re deadheaded because they put on healthy growth as a result, and many will rebloom.  You win when you deadhead because you get great looking, healthy plants which may be covered in new flowers.  As described above, the actual process of deadheading is basically the same for all flowering perennials, and it’s pretty simple and straightforward.  Generally, you know it’s time to deadhead when your flowers start looking shabby.  And remember, just because a certain plant’s flowers may be spent, it doesn’t automatically mean you should deadhead, or that it’s necessary to deadhead.  When it’s all said and done, deadheading is extremely beneficial for your plants, and doing it consistently will keep your plants healthy and your garden looking great all season.

Note: At the beginning of this post, I mentioned what a pain it was to prune/pinch/deadhead.  I was really thinking of deadheading.  I hate it.  And if I do the math, it’s easy for me to understand why.  1,000 plants x 10 flowers per plant on average = a minimum of 10,000 flowers to deadhead.  Nope.  Not fun.  But I do it anyway.  For the plants. 

A spent rose bloom.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
I waited too long to deadhead this dianthus. It's already produced seeds and has dropped many of them. They're visible here as small brown specks.

Loppin' and Choppin' in My Garden

I’ve done a whole lot of pruning and deadheading in my garden this last year or so.  And depending on your definition of the word, it’s possible that I’ve done some pinching, too.  A key point here, however, is that there’s also a whole lot of pruning/pinching/deadheading which I haven’t done – remember, I am a novice.  My gardening pedigree, or lack thereof, is the result of a year of hands-on planting/tending/growing combined with my avid research of information from expert sources.  For now, the compilation of my knowledge as a gardener continues along this basic paradigm – learning by doing and by researching.  I’ve gotten to know my plants, both the types and the individuals, intimately.  And the expert info I continue to glean from my research has helped me to deal with these individuals on a somewhat informed basis.  But the fact remains that I am still new to gardening and, as a result, there will be for me some gray areas and some blanks which will need filling in.  So when I relay to you my experieces and my advice, I do so always with this caveat.  I’ll do my best to tell you and show you what I know, and what I don’t know.  And please, as always, feel free to comment at any time regarding this, or any post.  If I get something wrong or right, feel free to let me know.  Or if I encounter a gray area or am unsure about something with which you’re familiar, please fill me in.  I know I’d appreciate it and I’m sure other visitors to this site would as well.  That being said, what I’d like to do here, in this last section of this post, is tell you about five different types of plant in my garden which I prune/pinch/deadhead (or will prune/pinch/deadhead) and how and when I do it (or will do it).  And again, any and all comments/suggestions are welcome and encouraged!

Asiatic/Oriental Lilies

How to Prune Asiatic/Oriental Lilies.  Pruning allows this plant’s bulb and root system to conserve energy and strengthen over the winter dormancy period.  How do you prune them?  That’s an easy one: cut them down to the ground.

When to Prune Asiatic/Oriental Lilies.  At the end of summer and into fall, the lily’s foliage will begin to turn yellow, then brown.  It basically looks dead.  This is the time to cut it down to the ground.  By deadheading these lilies properly (see below) earlier in the summer, and by removing the dead and dying aerial foliage in the fall, the plant should have stored enough energy in its bulb and roots to return in the spring in healthy fashion.

How to Deadhead Asiatic/Oriental Lilies.  For this plant, deadheading will stop seed production and divert all of its energy toward the development of its foliage, bulb and roots.  The bases of the spent flowers contain the ovary and the developing seeds/seed pods.  These bases are joined to the top of the stem by flower/petal stalks.  I make the cut on the main stem, just below the point where it joins with the flower/petal stalks.

When to Deadhead Asiatic/Oriental Lilies.  When all of the petals have all fallen off all of the flowers on a given plant, it’s time to deadhead this lily.  This usually happens early in the summer.  In this way, over the rest of the summer, the plant’s aerial structures (foliage) can maximize all of the energy derived from sunlight and direct it to the bulb and roots.

Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
This lily will be ready to deadhead soon.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
This lily is still blooming and not ready to deadhead. The blue line shows the point on the stem where the cut should be made when it's time to deadhead.

Clematis

How and When to Prune Clematis.  I’ve got two different types of Clematis vine growing in my garden.  Each one is ambling up its respective side of a garden arch.  One is a Clematis H.F. Young, and the other is a Clematis Jackmanii.  (As a side note, these were planted as basically bareroots last fall.  Each is now approximately 7 feet tall and the Jackmanii is covered with flowers.)  For the illustrative purposes of this discussion, each of these vines happens to conveniently belong to a different repective group of Clematis, as I’ll explain below. 

Clematis is a broad genus of flowering vine with approximately 300 different species.  These plants flower and grow in different ways – specifically three different ways – and because of this fact, the subject of how and when a Clematis is pruned can be a bit convoluted.  Some species flower on old wood (last season’s growth) only.  Some species flower on both old and new wood (old wood and current season’s growth), and the third group of species flowers on new wood only.  Consequently, these vines are pruned in three respectively different ways and times, and are organized accordingly into three separate groups, known as pruning groups.  Pruning Group 1 consists of vines that flower on old wood only.  They bloom in early through mid spring and should be pruned heavily after the flowers are spent.  As plants in this group grow after they’ve finished flowering, they can be pruned back substantially at that time.  This will result in new, vigorous growth.  The flowers for the following year will be set on this growth.  Pruning Group 2 consists of vines which flower on old and new wood.  My H.F. Young vine belongs to this group.  Vines in this group can be expected to flower in late spring through early summer, and then again, to a lesser degree, in the early fall.  My vine has not experienced any flowering yet.  I am attributing this to the fact that it is in it’s first year, and that this year’s growth will result in flowers next year.  Because it flowers on old and new wood, a vine from this group should be pruned lightly in late winter, removing dead, weak, and snarled stems only.  After it has flowered, it should be carefully pruned again, and deadheaded.  Pruning Group 3 consists of vines that flower on new wood only.  These bloom later in the summer and into fall.  My Clematis Jackmanii belongs to this group, and oddly, has been blooming for almost two weeks now (it’s June 22nd as I write this), in apparent contradiction of this group’s documented period of flower production.  But who’s complaining?  In any event, the pruning methodology for vines in this group is simple.  In late winter, cut the vine down to about eighteen inches in height.  As this group flowers on new wood, the vigorous new growth that arises from pruning in late winter will produce great flowering for the summer.

How and When to Deadhead Clematis.  From what I’ve discovered through my research, Clematis vines bloom when they’re supposed to bloom regardless of deadheading.  Conversely, I’ve also read that deadheading Clematis vines stimulates flowering.  So, I can’t be sure of the reality until I observe what happens with my vines when I do or don’t deadhead them.  Another uncertainty for me is the question of the uniformity of deadheading technique across the three pruning groups.  For the sake of this discussion, I am assuming that this technique is the same for all pruning groups.  And what exactly is this technique?  Since I can’t seem to find a specific comprehensible answer in any of my research, I’m going with a methodology based solely on my observations and my own rudimentary knowledge of plant stem anatomy and biology.  It is as follows:  For my Jackmanii, it appears that each flower stem/stalk (or group of flowerstems/stalks, as I’ve observed on my vine) arises from a node or pair of nodes.  Leaf stems also arise from these nodes.  Once I have observed a flower that is fading/shriveling/losing petals, I follow its individual stem/stalk to a point just above this node(s), and cut it there.  I’ll observe the results of this deadheading activity and relay the news of its success or failure in a future post.  In terms of when to deadhead a Clematis vine (assuming it’s done at all), I’ll stick to my practice of doing it when the flowers become spent.  So, I guess my Clematis deadheading methodology is evolving on a trial and error basis, combined with research which, in itself, has not been exactly definitive.  One certainty regarding deadheading these vines, however, does stand out: those species of Clematis which are sterile (and there are some, as I discussed earlier in this post) and do not produce seeds, do not need to be deadheaded in order to stimulate flowering, as none of this type of vine’s energy is being used for seed production.    

Clematis H.F. Young winding its way up a garden arch. This vine was planted last fall as essentially a bareroot, and is a member of Clematis Pruning Group Two.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
Clematis Jackmanii, growing and blooming up the side of the garden arch structure it shares with its neighbor, H.F. Young. This Jackmanii was also planted as essentially a bareroot last fall. It's a member of Clematis Pruning Group Three.
The circled area denotes a node on this particular stem. It's just above this node that I'd make the cut to deadhead the spent flower.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
Note the location of the cut I'm making to deadhead this spent bloom. it's directly above the node.

Roses

How and When to Prune Roses.  Roses present a very broad amount of subject matter as it pertains to pruning.  This is because there is such a diverse variety of rose plants offered by rose growers and nurseries, and a correspondingly diverse variety of methods used by growers/nurseries in the development, cultivation, and growth of the rose plants they sell to the home gardener.  The way these many different types of rose plants have been cultivated will often have a direct impact on the individual plant’s growth, and ultimately, its required pruning methodology.  For example, a grafted rose bush (an individual whose less hardy upper portion has been grafted to the root system of a more hardy variety in order to increase its durability through harsh seasons) will often send up “suckers”, which are canes (main stems) that emerge from the grafted rose’s root system portion and often grow wildly to compete with the canes of the upper grafted portion.  So, obviously, pruning in this case would not only be beneficial, it would be a necessity.

But for the sake of this article today, I’m going to try to simplify this and just tell you how and when I do and don’t prune my rose bushes.*

When I do prune my rose bushes, the amount of material I remove varies with the circumstances.  I’ve had substantial canes which have died entirely or have been severely damaged near the base of the plant.  In this case, I’ll prune the cane right down to just above its point of origin at the crown.  I’ve had branching stems either grow unkempt, or become damaged.  Many times, I’ll prune those off at the their junction with a larger stem or cane.  Interestingly enough, I have not pruned my roses (with two exceptions) at the two times of the year most rose experts recommend – early spring and late fall.  An early spring pruning is performed in order to establish the basis for a uniform and eye-pleasing growth habit, and to encourage blooming, during the growing season.  I’ve read, and have been told by experts, that the spring pruning should be the most substantial, with varying suggestions as to the amount of cane/stem material to be removed.  This substantial pruning is referred to as a hard prune.  A late fall pruning helps reign in any occasional loose or unwieldy canes or stems which may become damaged by cold and harsh winter conditions.  Since, to this point, I’ve chosen to do neither (again, with the notable exception of two hard prunes I performed in the early spring of this year), I’ve now got a pack of pretty wild looking rose bushes on my hands.  So, going forward, I’ll probably be giving them at least a minimal late fall pruning (if I see any gangly, susceptible stems) and a thorough spring hard pruning.  How much I prune off during each of these pruning sessions remains to be seen.  As my knowledge and experience base grows, I’m hoping I’ll be able to make the right call.  I’ll let you know what I end up doing when the time comes.  But I do continue to monitor my roses for damaged canes/stems and excessive wildness, and I prune them when I discover these problems.

And I will mention again that, after I prune or deadhead one plant and before I prune the next, I disinfect my shears.

How and When to Deadhead Roses.  Proper deadheading of a rose bush is critical for encouraging its growth and flower formation, and therefore, adding to its beauty.  The “How” part of deadheading roses is straightforward, easy to perform, and has obvious benefits for the plant.  To do it, identify the spent flower, follow its stem down to the first five-leafed branch that you encounter, and cut it immediately above this point.  This is a critical spot because a node is located right at the spot where this little five-leafed branch joins the stem.  When you remove the flower by cutting it right at this point, new shoots containing more leaves, branches stems, and flowers will emerge from the node.  So you can see that deadheading spent flowers encourages more growth and flowering.  The “When” part of deadheading rose plants is also pretty basic.  Do this whenever you spot a spent flower.  But, do this whenever you see a spent flower in the spring and summer only.  By the end of summer (late August/early September) roses start to concentrate on developing seeds.  These seeds form in structures called hips which are created, at least in part, by the flower’s ovary and which are located at the base of the flower.  Because seed production requires such a massive amount of the rose plant’s energy (as described earlier in this post) additional aerial growth of the plant essentially stops.  This is a good thing as winter approaches.  New tender growth on a rose plant is extremely susceptible to damage from freezing temperatures and blistering winds.  A plant which is still trying to grow under winter conditions could easily be killed.  Remember:  Stop deadheading your roses by the end of summer.  I stopped deadheading mine last year by the first week in September.

*For more detailed info on pruning and deadheading roses, including my hard pruning techniques, please click here.  And for a pretty sound rose winter preparation methodology, please click here.  Both links will take you to articles here in The Renaissance Garden Guy.

Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
Circled is a node. New shoots, which include stems, leaves, branches, and flowers, will emerge from this location.
A cane (circled in blue) on this miniature rose bush has sustained damage near its base and is dying. I'll locate its junction with the crown and prune it off just above that spot. Removing it will divert the rose's energy toward generating healthy growth and more blooms.
When deadheading a rose plant, cut the flower stem at a point just above the junction of this five-leafed branch and the stem. This is where the node (barely visible) is located.
Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
Close-up of the node.
The circled area in the above photo shows the approximate location of hip formation in the fall. The hips contain the seeds.

Montauk Daisies

How and When to Prune Montauk Daisies.  Montauk Daisies (Nipponanthemum nipponicum) are an extremely hardy and robust flowering shrub.  I’ve got them growing in a central “blue and white” feature in my garden.  They’re big and beautiful, with really big white single flowers with yellow centers which bloom in the late summer through early fall.  But this substantial, flower-covered bush does get leggy.  It can grow to a height of over three feet and it can get just as wide.  How do I deal with them and their potentially sprawling size and habit?  I prune them.  As always, I follow the tried and true method of making my cut just above a node at the base of a full leaf.  Again, by cutting at this location, new growth from the node is encouraged.  And with this new growth comes more flowers.  In late winter, I pruned my Montauk Daisies down almost to the ground.  Since that time, they’ve exploded with growth.  So I pruned them again down to a height of about one foot on June 15th, sticking to my rule of cutting the stems at a point just above a node.  These plants don’t start blooming until approximately late August, so I knew that pruning them back in the middle of June would give them enough time to develop plenty of new growth for flowers.  These are the only two times of the year I’ll prune my Montauk Daisies.  I personally won’t prune them late in the fall.  I believe that leaving the aerial plant structures in place for this plant serves to protect its root system from the extreme cold of winter.

How and When to Deadhead Montauk Daisies.  I deadhead my Montauk Daisies according to my hard and fast rule: follow the flower stem down to a full leaf and corresponding node, and cut it off just above that point.  And I start deadheading these plants when I start seeing spent blooms.  Since they don’t really start blooming until late August at the earliest, I probably won’t be deadheading these plants until the middle of September.  In the case of this daisy, deadheading in this fashion will encourage more flowers and extend the overall blooming period for the plant.

Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
This Montauk Daisy was recently pruned to a height of approximately 12 inches. The stem was cut at a point just above the node (indicated by the blue arrow).
This is the spot to cut when deadheading a Montauk Daisy. Pictured is a Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum). It's anatomically similar to a Montauk Daisy and it serves as a good model for explaining Montauk Daisy deadheading.

Hostas

How and When to Prune Hostas.  Hostas, or Plantain Lilies, are a longtime garden favorite.  Their beauty, longevity, hardiness, and ease of care make them an excellent choice for any number of applications in a perennial garden.  Do you have to prune them?  Sort of.  How about deadheading them?  You should.  Are we almost done?  Yep.  Pruning a hosta plant isn’t really pruning.  It’s just removing, by cutting, the leaves of the plant in the fall, after they’ve withered and started to brown.  I cut the leaves from my hostas before they start turning into a nasty, soggy mess.  Doing this keeps the garden neater and eliminates any potentially nasty microrganisms from harboring themselves in the sleeping plant.

How and When to Deadhead Hostas.  Anywhere from May to September, depending on the variety, a hosta will flower.  The flower sits atop a long flower stalk that originates from a node at the leaf/main stem juncture.  Deadhead the hosta by tracing this stalk as far down as you can see (or feel) and cut it there.  Take care when cutting this stalk to avoid damaging leaves, the main stem, or the node of the plant.  I cut the flower stalks of my hostas when the flowers are spent, typically for my varieties by early to mid summer.  As in the case of the other plants I’ve discussed in this post, this deadheading process allows the hosta to use all of its energy for leaf and root growth since, with its flower removed, it will not be developing seeds.

Pruning Pinching and Deadheading Perennial Plants
When deadheading the hosta, trace the flower stalk as far down as possible and cut it at that point.
When cutting the flower stalk, make sure not to damage any other parts of the plant.

Lilies, Clematis, Roses, Daisies, and Hostas.  I decided to use these plants from my garden as the framework for discussing my own experiences with  pruning, pinching, and deadheading perennial plants because I believe each of these varieties is fairly representative of what many people have growing in their own gardens.  I’m hoping that their familiarity has helped make my discussion at least somewhat relatable.  I’ve done my best to relay the key points of pruning, pinching, and deadheading perennial plants, i.e., their importance, their benefits, and basically how and when to perform them.  And as always, I attempt to supplement my admittedly limited gardening experience with careful research in order to give you accurate and viable information.

Once again, I’ve asked you to sit through a real whopper.  And again, I ask that you accept my apologies.  I hope that I was at least able to somewhat intellibly give you the lowdown on pruning, pinching, and deadheading perennial plants.  And as always, I promise to try to make what I write here informative and entertaining.  Thanks for staying ’til closing time on this one.  Your readership is dearly appreciated.

Cheers, and Happy Gardening!

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5 thoughts on “Pruning, Pinching, and Deadheading Perennial Plants”

  1. Thank you for this truly knowledgeable explanation of training clematis. We have a question from Zone 5 Denver CO:

    We just planted three Sweet Autumn Clematis vines, intended to grow up along three 5″ wide wooden columns to fill a large 10′ patio trellis. In retrospect are unsure if they will grow to populate the trellis. (We choose Sweet Autumn as it grows higher than most clematis, and blooms later after Denver’s Japanese beetles have left Denver. the beetles love clematis blooms).

    Currently the three clematis are climbing happily on twine a few inches away from the wooden columns and are ~4’ high.

    1. Can we detach the twine that the clematis is adhered to and wrap the twine (along with the clematis) around the columns?
    2. Most guides recommend cutting back group 3 clematis each winter to 18”, but if we instead cut the clematis at the 10′ top of the columns/start of the trellis each winter, would they still grow and flower on the trellis each year?
    3. any other thoughts?
    thank you!!

    1. Great questions, Brad – thank you! In order to answer you properly, I’ll mention first that I’ve not grown Sweet Autumn clematis. But I’m familiar with the vine because I’ve seen it in other gardens, and I researched it because I’d considered it for my own garden. It’s a fabulous vine, and a prodigious grower and climber. Its panicled clusters of tiny flowers, combined with its extremely fast growing tendencies and height/spread potential really set it apart from other clematis vines. It is, however, still a clematis – specifically a Group 3 clematis. So a few items still apply to this massive vine. First, as you’ve discovered, it uses its leaf petioles (grasping leaf stems) to grasp cimbing structures. As these are comparatively short (in spite of the vine’s massive overall size), the Sweet Autumn still needs comparatively slender climbing structure components in order for it to make its way up a vertical surface and fulfill its height potential. Your provision of twine set off from your 5″ columns is the perfect solution. The big question concerns the clematis’ ability to remain vertical on these columns if you “wrap” the vine – twine and all – around the columns in upwardly “spiraling” fashion. I’ll try to answer with another question: How durable is the twine you’re using? Remember, the clematis is holding on for dear life to that twine with those short leaf stems. Unlike twining main stem climbers (like honeysuckle), or aerial root climbers (like climbing hydrangeas), your Sweet Autumn does not possess the physiology to attach itself directly to your big columns. One possible solution involves integrating a more permanent slender structural climbing component (jacketed or unjacketed copper wire, galvanized fencing material, slender treated wooden dowel rods, etc). That way, if the twine gives out, the clematis will still be grasping something fairly permanent. The wild card in this discussion concerns the durability of your twine. If it lasts for several years, and you don’t cut your vines down any lower than 10′, its very possible that their main stems will become woody and rigid enough to retain their “spiral” shape, and stay in place vertically up your columns.

      Your other question concerns your vines’ propensity for blooming on new wood. If you cut your vines back at the 10′ mark, you’ll definitely lose a lot of blooms along that first ten feet. Obviously, ALL growth above the 10′ mark will be brand new, and therefore perfectly primed for giving you brand new panicles. Within that first 10 feet, however, the blooming will be compromised. That’s not to say that those particular sections will be totally devoid of blooms – I believe you’ll get some new stem growth from the existing nodes which may yield flowers – but there’s no way that those sections of stem will be anywhere near as floriferous as entirely new growth would definitely be. My own Group 3 vines will sparsely flower on old wood, but they look WAY better when I cut them down to a point just above a couple of nodes at about 18″ off the ground. Remember, every year that your vines are in the ground, their root systems get more and more extensive, and their main stems effectively become “trunks,” which are capable of sending up more and more main stems – and corresponding leaf petioles and flower buds – with each new growing season.
      I have written three articles here on The Renaissance Garden Guy about clematis vines and other climbers. Here are the links if you’re interested in checking them out: “How Do Climbing Vines Actually Climb?” (https://renaissancegardenguy.com/how-do-climbing-vines-actually-climb/), “How to Train Clematis Vines to Climb: An Easy Hack” (https://renaissancegardenguy.com/how-to-train-clematis-vines-to-climb-an-easy-hack/), and “Pruning, Pinching, and Deadheading Perennial Plants” (https://renaissancegardenguy.com/pruning-pinching-and-deadheading-perennial-plants/). Check them out if you’d like (I realize that you’ve read at least one of them, but I’m on my phone and my screen isn’t showing me which one you’re commenting on). Hopefully, you’ll find them helpful.

      I hope I’ve answered your questions at least somewhat satisfactorily. I thank you kindly for reading my features here, and I wish you all the best with your big, beautiful Sweet Autumn vines. Please do fill me in on how things work out. Thanks once again, Brad.

  2. Kevin Richardson

    Lots of great information , thanks for sharing it. Your dedication to detail inspires us all to spend more time in our own gardens. We know it will pay off when we see yours.

  3. Sharon Lee Johnson

    Thank you, I have learned a lot of great things from this!! And will be trying what I am still able to do. I enjoy all your knowledge! I have never researched any of my plants. It’s a wonder any lived at all!. I will be enjoying your journey by watching and learning. Maybe this old lady can still learn a few new things!

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