Some Indiana gardeners get the mid-summer “blahs”, and our plants are no different. Summer annuals may look leggy with smaller flowers, and perennials may have too many seed heads. Flowering shrubs may be dotted with brown, dead flowers. All these “blahs” can be easily fixed.  

The benefits of deadheading 

Annuals like cosmos and zinnia benefit from removing the spent flowers, called deadheading.  

Perennials also benefit from this. Many annuals and perennials have a main stem and side shoots. Rather than just cut plants back, be selective. Look at the stem to see where the side shoots are. Remove the spent flower stem just above the side shoot. This allows the side shoots to develop new flowers and keep the plants blooming. 

Annuals 

Petunia, verbena, sweet potato vine, coleus, and other annuals in pots can take a few snips to rein in their legginess and shape them. Use scissors, hand pruners, or your thumb and forefinger for the job. Then give the plant a shot of water-soluble fertilizer, according to label directions. 

If some annuals struggle with the heat, such as pansies, Diascia, or Gerber daisies, consider pulling them out and replacing them with plants that can tolerate summer weather. Most garden centers still have plants ready for the job. 

Perennials 

Deadhead spent or dead flowers from coneflowers, phlox, black-eyed Susans, salvias, and others. When the perennial is done blooming, cut it back to the base of the plant. 

Other perennials, such as iris, may have a single stem. There are no side shoots, and the flowers bloom along the stem. In this case, cut them down to the base of the plant. In the case of irises, it’s likely done blooming for the season, and removing the stems tidies up the perennial. 

Shrubs 

Now is the time to remove the spent flowers on your spring-blooming shrubs. Many spring shrubs like lilacs, hydrangeas, and forsythias bloom on year-old wood. Next year’s flowers develop on stems beginning late summer. 

For this task, remove just the spent flowers. You may notice that lower on the stem are side shoots, which will produce next year’s flowers. Like with perennials and annuals, remove the spent flower stem above the side shoots. 

If the shrub needs to be pruned or shaped, be selective. Shrubs are usually meant to be tabletops or balls. For the lowest maintenance, allow shrubs to be themselves — upright, rounded, cascading, or fountain.  

When not to deadhead 

If you feed the birds, squirrels, and other critters, allow the seed heads to remain, especially as we transition to cooler weather. Wildlife appreciates the winter smorgasbord. 

For more information on pruning trees and shrubs, click here.

Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp blogs at hoosiergrdener.com