By the time fall rolls around, many summer blooms are looking a little tired, but that doesn’t mean your garden has to put up and shut up! In fact, there are plenty of plants to deadhead in September if you want to breathe new life into borders and encourage plants to keep flowering right on through the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness.
Yes, deadheading flowers might be one of the simplest jobs, but it reaps the biggest rewards. Honestly, just a few minutes spent snipping your spent blooms will keep plants from wasting energy on seed production, and even give you several more weeks of fall color, too.
From roses and dahlias to long-blooming perennials, we’ve compiled a list of the plants that will absolutely love you forever if you give them some TLC and a tidy-up over the early autumn…
Plants to Deadhead in September
While things might seem like they’re winding down, gardening-wise, for fall, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, this is a season full of growth and transformation – and gardening chores aplenty, too. Gardening chores like, say, deadheading some of your favourite fall-blooming flowers.
Grab yourself a pair of Amazon’s Felco F2 Pruners (or, if you're watching every dime, the 3-Pack Stainless Steel Pruning Snips from Amazon), then pay attention. Because these are the ones we really recommend you deadhead this September…
1. Roses
Roses are honestly the poster child for deadheading, so it makes sense these thorny beauties are on our list of plants to deadhead in September.
Take care to snip just above a five-leaflet leaf to encourage fresh buds instead of hips (unless, of course, you have a hankering for rosehip syrup). Or, if you fancy using an older method, just try twisting the spent blooms with a quick wrist action to snap it off.
Trust us: deadheading roses in September is a simple trick that can pave the way for a final, fragrant flush before the frosts settle in. Which, quite honestly, makes it well worth dusting off your pruners for...
2. Spirea
Reliable shrubs across USDA plant hardiness zones 3-9, spirea tend to respond well to an autumnal tidy-up.
To do this, simply clip away the faded flower clusters, and you’ll likely be rewarded with a neat round of pink blooms right through to the first chill.
3. Butterfly Bush
The more you cut, the more this pollinator magnet gives, so yes: consider the not-so-humble butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) a vital addition to your list of plants to deadhead in September if you live in zones 5-9.
To do the task properly, take care to snip spent flower spikes just above a leaf node, and it will keep pumping out nectar-rich blooms for butterflies well into autumn. Perfect news for anyone who wants to do their bit for local wildlife, essentially.
4. Asters
Asters are generous, but they do tend to look tired as the fall chills creep in. Pinch or cut away the faded daisy-like flowers to encourage new ones, then, and keep deadheading your Symphyotrichum spp. to keep them looking fresh throughout September.
Bonus: you’ll extend the pollinator party a little longer, too! But take care to snip dead and decaying plant matter right back to the soil level when you get to that stage in their growing cycle, as it helps prep them for spring.
5. Delphiniums
Tall, dramatic, and a bit diva-ish, delphiniums are absolutely counted among the plants to deadhead in September as they repay you when you cut their flower stalks right back after blooming.
What do we mean by this? Well, over the autumn, a little sprucing up can trigger smaller but beautiful side shoots before the season ends. And, while this may be the final show for the short-lived perennial, it's honestly the time when they really look their most dazzling; enjoy it.
6. Dahlias
Deadheading is a non-negotiable part of good dahlia care, especially through fall – and why wouldn’t you do everything within your power to keep those showy blooms going for as long as possible, eh?
Snip faded flower stems back to the nearest leaf joint, then wait for these striking beauties to dazzle you with new, fluffy blooms right up to the first frost. And make sure you keep on deadheading right up until every last flower is gone, too.
7. Hardy Geraniums
How do we love thee, hardy geraniums? Let us count the ways, starting with the fact that these long-flowering stalwarts respond well to a quick trim.
Make sure anyone working on your garden knows, then, that any cranesbill geranium flowers should be considered plants to deadhead in September; even a light shear will often result in a fresh carpet of color before winter sets in.
8. Salvias
Deadheading salvias is the fastest route to extra flowers, so make a point of snipping faded spikes back to just above a pair of leaves.
Trust us; it’ll prove more than enough for you to coax the plant into sending up a fresh flush almost immediately. The sight of which, we suspect, will make your pumpkin-spiced latte taste all the sweeter…
9. Phlox
Phlox (Phlox paniculata) isn't just one of the all-around best perennial flowers you can grow; it is also the type of plant that benefits hugely from a deadheading session in September.
When deadheading phlox, be sure to remove faded clusters if you want to encourage smaller side blooms and keep mildew at bay – and who wouldn’t want that? After all, fresh air circulation is just as important as fresh flowers.
10. Coneflowers
Deadheading purple coneflowers (aka Echinacea purpurea) is purely optional, so they don’t have to be on your radar when it comes to plants to deadhead in September.
Essentially, it comes down to this: you can either leave the seedheads for birds, or snip for a tidier look and a possible late flush of flowers. Player’s choice, we guess, although the empath in us quite fancies leaving these dramatic seedheads for our feathered friends to enjoy.
11. Summer Bedding Plants
Cheerful bedding plants like viola, calendula, and other annuals tend to be incredibly generous bloomers, and especially so if you deadhead.
For calendula, pinch off spent flowers just above a leaf joint; for violas, trim lightly to keep them compact and colourful through fall. Then, all that's left to do is sit back and enjoy the show.
Now that you know which plants to deadhead in September, all that’s left to do is give your pruners a good old clean until they’re positively sparkling and set to work.
If you pick a good day for it and take a flask of something out with you to enjoy as you go, this surprisingly satisfying garden chore won’t feel a bit like work. Promise.
