Home » Misc » Deadhead wave petunias

Deadhead wave petunias


How to deadhead petunias – to increase blooms

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Learning how to deadhead petunias will encourage your plant to continue producing its beautiful flowers from early summer, right through until the first frost. 

Deadheading is simply the process of removing dead blooms from a living plant in order to encourage it to produce more flowers rather than turning the spent flowers into seeds.

Petunias are a favorite for hanging baskets, windowboxes and pots, and are one of the joys of the summer garden. Abundantly colorful, available in every shade from white and yellow through to red and pink and blues and purples. 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Petunias are the perfect flower for beginners as they're very easy to care for. 'All they require is full sun, regular feeding and deadheading. Allow them to dry out between waterings and avoid wetting the flowers or foliage,' advises PL's gardening expert Leigh Clapp.

As well as being a beautiful addition to the garden, petunias are also very useful. Petunias repel pests, particularly aphids, and also attract pollinators. For these reasons, they are particularly good companion plants for peppers.

How to deadhead petunias: a step-by-step guide

By knowing how to deadhead petunias, you can keep your plant blooming and looking beautiful throughout the summer. It will also prevent your petunia from self-seeding and growing more flowers in unwanted areas of your garden.

Deadheading petunias is fairly straightforward once you know the essentials.

  1. Identify a dead petunia bloom. They will be limp and crumpled, some may even be brown and crispy depending on the weather and the amount of time long the flower has been left.
  2. Figure out where you pinch the petunias.The seed in the petunia is actually below the flower head, so you need to make sure you remove the seed as well as the petals. At the base of the flower is the sepal (it looks like little leaves) which previously encased the bud. You want to deadhead a little bit below these leaves.
  3. Having chosen your spot, there are two ways to remove the flower. Either use your thumb nail and forefinger to sever the stem cleanly or use secateurs, scissors or deadheading snips. Regardless of your method it should then fall away.
  4. Do not pull the head as this risks uprooting the plant and damaging other buds which will reduce the amount of flowers it produces and could even kill the plant.

(Image credit: Future)

One of the main challenges of deadheading petunias, however, is their stickiness. 'One reason why petunias don't last longer in our gardens is because they're horrible to deadhead,' says Sue Sanderson from Thompson & Morgan. However, there are some varieties, such as Thompson & Morgan's 'Petunia 'Non-Stick Mixed' which has clean, mess-free flowers that make deadheading much more pleasant.' 

If you are growing traditional petunias then there are some solutions that make the challenge easier. 'I find using scissors or secateurs, rather than pinching the flower by hand, and wearing gloves stops the sticky sap from getting everywhere and makes deadheading a lot more manageable,' advises keen grower and Period Living editor Melanie Griffiths.

Is it necessary to deadhead petunias?

Yes, it is necessary to deadhead most types of petunias. No-one likes looking out onto a garden of dead blooms, so knowing how to deadhead petunias and remove them is an easy way to keep your garden looking verdant and beautiful. Plus, by removing the dead flowers, the plant doesn't put its energy into creating seeds and instead promotes the growth of new flowers so your displays will continue to look stunning all summer long.

However, wave petunias and the slightly more durable supertunias do not require deadheading. 'Wave Petunias continue to bloom aggressively even without deadheading; however, we do recommend removing wilted blooms to improve the plant's appearance,' says Kristin Winterbottom from Park Seeds .

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

How do you prune petunias to keep them blooming?

To prune petunias to keep them blooming, simply pinch or cut off spent flowers. Be careful not to cut any foliage or buds.  Plus, knowing how to deadhead petunias properly, by removing a petunia flower completely, as described above, you remove the seed as well as the bloom, this will prevent the petunias from getting leggy.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

When should you deadhead petunias?

You should deadhead petunias as soon as the blooms start to fade. It will become quite clear when the bloom is past it's best as its color will be less vibrant and it will start to go slightly limp. 

Blooms that are older will turn brown and eventually fall off - even if they flower had fallen off, you still need to dead the remaining bud as this will turn into a seed and reduce the amount of flowers produced by the plant.

Check your plant at least once a week for signs of fading petunia blooms. This will start as soon as your plant starts flowering.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This feature was created by H&G sister brand, Period Living magazine

Subscribe to Period Living for more inspiration 

Period Living is the UK's best-selling period homes magazine. A subscription provides you with all you need to know about caring for and improving a traditional house and garden

Having graduated with a first class degree in English Literature four years ago, Holly started her career as a features writer and sub-editor at Period Living magazine, Homes & Gardens' sister title. Working on Period Living brought with it insight into the complexities of owning and caring for period homes, from interior decorating through to choosing the right windows and the challenges of extending. This has led to a passion for traditional interiors, particularly the country-look. Writing for the Homes & Gardens website as a content editor, alongside regular features for Period Living and Country Homes & Interiors magazines, has enabled her to broaden her writing to incorporate her interests in gardening, wildlife and nature. 

How To Deadhead Petunias To Keep Them Fuller & Blooming All Summer!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read full disclosure here.

Deadheading petunias is important in order to keep them bushy and looking their best. In this post, I’ll tell you why and when to do it. Then I will show you exactly how to deadhead petunias by both pinching and pruning, step by step.


Petunias are a gorgeous addition to any garden, and a staple for me every year. But, they have a tendency to look leggy and overgrown by the middle of summer, which is not ideal.

That’s why it’s so important to deadhead your petunias regularly. Getting into the habit will keep them full and covered in flowers all summer long.

If you’re new to pruning plants don’t worry, I’m going to make this super easy for you! Below I will show you exactly how to deadhead petunias using a couple of simple techniques – and you don’t need any fancy tools to do it.

Table of Contents

Why Should You Deadhead Petunias?

You should deadhead petunias because it encourages them to bloom more vigorously. After the blossoms become brown and dried up, the plant uses its energy to produce seeds.

When you remove the dead blooms and seed pods, the plant will be able to use that energy to produce more flowers instead.

Regular pinching and pruning also prevents them from becoming leggy, and keeps them full and bushy all summer long.

Spent petunia flowers that need deadheading

When To Deadhead Petunias

You will know when to deadhead petunias once you see the blooms wilting and turning brown. When the first flowers start to wilt, it is time to begin the process.

Check on them regularly, and remove the spent flowers as they die back. I like to do this about once per week or so. But you can do it as often as you need to in order to keep your plant looking its best.

How To Deadhead Petunias With Pinching

Deadheading petunias by pinching them simply means to use your fingers to remove parts of the stem. It’s nice because you don’t need any tools, all you need are your hands.

There are two different ways to do it: either by removing the spent flowers, or by pinching off the leggy growth. You’ll likely find that you’ll need to use a combination of both techniques.

Pinching Out The Dead Flowers

First, let’s look at how to pinch out the dead flowers. This involves simply grabbing the spent blooms and developing seed pods with your fingers, and plucking them off.

Step 1: Locate the spent flowers – The spent (aka: dead or dying) flowers are usually above the new ones. They will be wilted, and sometimes dry and brown, so it’s easy to find the ones that need to be removed.

Step 2: Pinch them out – Grasp the tip of the stem just below the blossom between your thumb and forefinger, and pinch to remove it.

The flower should come off easily, but you may need to dig your fingernail into the stem to sever it.

Be careful not to pull on them though, or you could accidentally break the entire branch off. They can be a bit delicate.

Step 3: Repeat with other spent blooms – Pinch off the remaining spent blooms on the same branch, and then move on to another one. Repeat this process until you’ve deadheaded all of the wilted flowers from your petunia.

Deadheading a faded petunia flower

Pinching The Leggy Growth

In addition to removing the spent flowers, it is also important to remove any leggy branches on a regular basis.

Petunias will naturally get leggy over time, especially when you don’t deadhead them very often. Pinching will encourage them to brach out, and also promotes a healthier plant.

Step 1: Locate the leggy stems – Leggy stems are the ones that are very long or look bare. Locate any unsightly looking branches, those that have a lot of dead foliage on them, or ones that are hanging toward the ground.

Step 2: Pinch the stem – Use your thumb and forefinger to pluck off the new tips just above the bud. Continue pinching out the tips until you’ve gotten all of the longest ones.

It is very important to sever them, and take care not to pull, so you don’t accidentally break off the whole thing.

Step 3: Repeat with more leggy stems – Move on to the next leggy branch, and repeat the steps above. Continue this process weekly throughout the summer to keep your plant bushy and full of flowers.

Pinching back leggy petunia stems

How To Deadhead Petunias With Pruning

Pinching is very quick and easy. But since they are very sticky, many gardeners prefer to use a tool instead of their fingers.

If this is you, then here are the steps for how to deadhead petunias using a sharp pair of pruners.

Step 1: Choose the right tool – Since petunia stems are small and delicate, I recommend using either precision pruners, a pair of micro-tip snips, or bonsai shears for the job.

Otherwise, if the tool you use is too bulky, you could end up damaging them, or cutting off more than you meant to.

Step 2: Sterilize your shears – Before using pruning shears or scissors, you should always sterilize them first.

Dip the blades into rubbing alcohol and allow them to soak for five minutes, then air dry. Or you can wash them with soap and water.

Step 3: Locate the spent blooms – Examine the plant, and find the stems that contain several spent flowers. Look for the ones that are dry and wilted.

A petunia stem that is getting leggy

Step 4: Cut the stems – Cut back the stem just below the spent blooms. Or you can remove up to half of the branch if it’s really leggy.

Step 5: Don’t cut too much – Removing too many branches at once can limit the number of flowers, and result in a less attractive plant. So only trim one stem per week on small plants.

Larger ones with dozens of branches can withstand heavier pruning. You can cut back up to ten at a time on the larger plants.

Step 6: Repeat regularly – If weekly maintenance isn’t an option for you, plan on deadheading most of your petunia plant about halfway through summer.

Toward the end of July or early August remove all the spent blooms, and cut back any leggy stems.

Pruning off a dead petunia flower

Petunias That Don’t Need Deadheading

Not all types of petunias need to be deadheaded. There are new hybrids these days that are self-cleaning and don’t need any (or at least not as much) maintenance.

Ask your local garden center if they carry any self-cleaning petunia varieties, or look at the details on the plant tag.

Deadheading petunias is a fantastic way to keep them blooming and vigorous throughout the entire gardening season. If you’re tired of your petunias looking overgrown and scraggly by the middle of summer, then pinch away!

More About Pruning Plants

Tell us your best tips for deadheading petunias in the comments section below.

Seeds of Petunia Volna sea F1 (Minitunia) supercascade: variety description, photo

Dahlia Jan van Schaffelaer

Code: 32124

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

199

Columnar apple Malyukha

Code: 1557

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: 20.03 to 30.05

389

Clematis Hakuokan

Code: 247

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

349

Sadon potato

SKU: 11732

Quantity per pack: 25-30 tubers

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: From 20.03 to 30.05

299

Dwarf Cherry Winter Pomegranate

Code: 4285

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

389

Poppy Pink Pearl

Code: 9368

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

359

Turbo peat tablet, 33mm

Code: 26150

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: In stock

Shipping time: 1-3 business days

10

Creeping Mazus

Code: 4168

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

419

Nerine Bowdeny Isabelle

Code: 32149

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

249

nine0002 Potato Sineglazka

Article: 4500

Quantity in the package: 25-30 tubers

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: From 20.03 to 30.05

289

Sylvia columnar cherry

Code: 1527

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

449

Dahlia Chat Noir

Code: 32058

Pack quantity: 1 pc. nine0003

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

249

Early Hymenocallis/Peruvian Narcissus

Code: 32139

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

129

Dahlia Happy Day Cream White

Code: 32097

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: 20.03 to 30.05

249

Little Pinky Gentian

Code: 9564

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

279

Peony ITO Bartzella

Code: 1175

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

1299

Dahlia Shaggy Chic

Code: 32103

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Availability: Spring

Shipping time: March 20 to May 30

229

Dahlia Happy Day Cherry Red

Code: 32096

Pack quantity: 1 pc.

Learn more