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Deadheading is a gardening practice that involves trimming dead flowers and overgrown buds from plants. While you might feel hesitant about pruning chrysanthemums, it is essential for promoting healthy growth and maintaining a neat, attractive appearance. Chrysanthemums require regular pruning and pinching throughout spring to prepare for their blooming season in late summer and early fall. Pruning helps the plant grow shorter, bushier, and fuller by encouraging lateral shoots, resulting in a lush and vibrant plant.
Steps
Trim the spent flower stems
Prune dead chrysanthemum flowers from late spring to mid-summer. The ideal time to prune outdoor chrysanthemums is between late spring and mid-summer. Trim just before the blooming season to allow new buds to form on the cut stems. Pruning during the warmer months also helps the plant withstand colder weather with minimal damage.
- If growing chrysanthemums in a greenhouse or indoors, you can deadhead as soon as flowers fade, as the plant is not exposed to outdoor cold.
Identify wilted or dead flowers. When it's time to prune chrysanthemums, inspect the plant for faded or dead flowers and stems. Most chrysanthemums are orange or yellow when fresh and turn brown when dead or dying. These flowers are often drier than the healthy ones, with petals that are thin and brittle.
Remove dead flowers by hand. If the chrysanthemum plant has only a few dead flowers, you can simply pluck the brown ones by hand. Hold the stem just below the flower and snap it off.
- This method is most suitable for indoor or greenhouse plants, as you can prune year-round without worrying about cold damage.
Trim dead chrysanthemum clusters with pruning shears. If your plant has many dead flowers but the stems still appear fresh and sprouting, use pruning shears to cut multiple flowers at once. Make diagonal cuts just below the dead flowers and remove entire sections of the plant. Repeat until all faded flowers are removed.
Cut stems close to the ground during major pruning. If most or all flowers and stems are dead, use garden shears for a thorough trim. As soon as green shoots emerge from the soil, use sharp garden shears to cut the dead parts as close to the ground as possible. This removes dead flowers and stems, allowing the plant to sprout new growth.
- You might worry about over-pruning, but for perennial chrysanthemums that have survived winter, removing dead stems is necessary.
- Ensure major pruning is done in spring or early summer, giving new shoots enough time to fully develop before the autumn blooming season.
Avoid pruning outdoor chrysanthemums after blooming. When chrysanthemums bloom in autumn, you might be tempted to remove faded flowers immediately. However, avoid doing this for outdoor plants in cold climates, as cutting before winter can make the plant more vulnerable to damage.
Pinch the tips to encourage bushier growth
Pinch chrysanthemum tips in late spring and early summer. Pinching involves removing the top part of a stem to stimulate branching and flowering. This can be done alongside deadheading from late spring to early summer, as doing it before winter may expose the plant to cold damage.
- Pinching is optional but recommended, as it promotes fuller, lusher growth while maintaining a neat and compact shape.
Identify thin stems for pinching. This technique works best on tall stems you want to grow bushier. Look for stems you’d like to shorten during late spring and early summer. The ideal time to pinch chrysanthemums is when new shoots reach about 8-10 cm in height.
- Also look for tips that appear dead or have turned brown.
Grab the stem tip below the first set of leaves. Once you’ve identified stems to pinch, hold the tip of the shoot just below the first set of leaves, about 1.5-2.5 cm from the end.
Pinch the tip off with your fingernail. Use your fingernail to snap off the tip and discard it. Repeat this process for unhealthy or overly tall stems.
- Pinching not only reduces the height of tall plants but also encourages rapid leaf and flower growth just below the pinched area.
Stop pinching by mid-June to early August. The best time to stop pinching chrysanthemums is mid-July, allowing the plant enough time to bloom and develop before the flowering season. For early-blooming varieties, stop pinching around mid-June, while for late-blooming types like “Minnyellow” or “Minngopher,” you can stop by early August.
- Check the variety of chrysanthemum you’re growing to determine if it’s an early or late bloomer.
Caring for chrysanthemums after pruning
Dispose of dead flowers and stems. After pruning chrysanthemums, remove and discard the dead flowers and stems. Pests like slugs and snails can lay eggs in dead foliage, which may later infest and harm the plant.
Apply garden mulch throughout spring. The ideal time to mulch is after pruning and pinching, as mulch enriches the soil and protects the plant from frost. Spread a light layer, a few centimeters thick, in spring or summer after pruning, and reapply in mid-to-late fall to shield the plant during winter.
Ensure chrysanthemums receive sunlight after pruning. Chrysanthemums thrive in sunlight, which helps replenish essential nutrients after pruning. For indoor plants, place the pot on a sunny windowsill after trimming. For outdoor plants, time the pruning so they receive at least a few hours of sunlight daily.
Maggie Moran
Gardener
Gardener
Did you know? Chrysanthemums require at least 5 hours of sunlight daily. Soil moisture is equally important and should be checked regularly. Water the plant when the top 2.5 cm of soil feels dry.
Tips
- Weeding the garden is an effective way to encourage flowering and growth.
- Always check the specific variety of chrysanthemum you’re growing to know its blooming period.
- Disinfect garden shears with rubbing alcohol before and after each use.
What You’ll Need
- Sharp garden shears
- Garden mulch
