Chrysanthemums, commonly known as mums, are a quintessential flower providing vibrant color during the autumn season. Deadheading is the practice of removing spent or faded flowers, and it is generally recommended to maximize their display. This simple action helps the plant direct its resources efficiently throughout the blooming period. Understanding the precise technique and timing is the most effective way to enjoy the maximum number of flowers.
Why Deadheading Is Beneficial for Mums
The reason to remove faded flowers is to prevent the plant from completing its reproductive cycle by setting seed. A plant’s biological goal is to produce seeds once flowering is complete, which signals the end of the blooming phase. By interrupting this process, the plant directs its energy away from seed production and back into vegetative growth. This redirection of energy encourages the development of new flower buds lower on the stems. Consequently, the bloom cycle is extended, allowing the plant to produce a subsequent wave of color well into the fall. Regular removal of dead material also improves air circulation and sunlight penetration within the dense foliage. Keeping the plant tidy also maintains a more aesthetically pleasing and uniform appearance.
Proper Technique and Timing
Deadheading is most effective when performed continuously throughout the entire flowering season, starting as soon as the first blooms begin to fade. Waiting until the flowers are completely dry or brown means the plant has already spent valuable energy setting seed, reducing the benefit of the removal. For best results, inspect the plants every few days to catch spent flowers early.
For a plant with only a few large blooms, the spent flower head can often be cleanly pinched off using your thumb and forefinger. When working with the small, abundant blooms typical of garden mums, it is more efficient to use clean, sharp snips or small pruning shears.
The cut should be precise, made on the stem just above the first healthy set of leaves or a visible new bud, known as a node. Cutting at this point encourages new growth to emerge directly below the removal site, maintaining the plant’s naturally mounding shape. Avoid simply snipping off the flower head at the top of the stem, as this leaves an unsightly stub that can be susceptible to disease. For heavily flowered stems, you may cut back about two inches below the flower cluster to hide the remaining stem within the plant’s canopy. Deadheading should cease when the weather begins to turn consistently cold, typically around the time of the first hard frost, to allow the plant to prepare for winter.
End-of-Season Pruning vs. Deadheading
It is important to distinguish between deadheading, which occurs during the bloom cycle, and the more drastic structural pruning done later in the year. Deadheading is the targeted removal of individual spent flowers to encourage more blooms and maintain appearance. This action is confined to the flowering parts of the plant and is done while the foliage is still green and active.
End-of-season pruning, by contrast, is a large-scale cutback of the entire plant’s framework. This is typically performed after a hard frost has caused the foliage to turn brown and die back, signaling the plant’s entry into dormancy. For mums intended to overwinter, this structural cut involves shearing the entire plant down to about one-third or one-half of its height. This prepares the plant for winter protection and ensures that its energy is concentrated in the root system for a strong return the following spring.