How to deadhead spent daffodils

To deadhead or not to deadhead; this is a sure fire conversation starter with most gardeners!

Just so you know what they'll be talking about, dead heading is removing flowers before they make seeds.

Years ago when I first started gardening, dead heading was a given unless you wanted to save seeds for next year.

Today many flowers are hybrids and as such don't make seeds, so deadheading becomes a question of aesthetics.

I have a number of old-fashioned daffodils that still make their own seeds; some years I've let them go to seed, other years I've removed flowers.

When I remove the flowers, I'm letting the plant store it's energy in bulbs so they'll make bigger flowers next year.

 Luckily, deer and other wildlife don't "help"; they don't like the taste of daffodils so there's no premature daffodil dining, either on the flowers or the greenery.

"Deadheading" is a long word for a very simple procedure.

You can use clippers or hands; I usually have gloves on but they're not necessary.

I remove as little of the plant as  possible; I concentrate on removing the flower and green node at the base of the flower only.

Some gardeners have told me it's best to remove the whole stem but I don't think so; those stems and leaves help bulbs store energy for next  year's blooms.

Now does removing the stem make for one less green thing sticking up for a few weeks before it goes yellow and dies for the season?

Most definitely, but then I don't braid my daffodil foliage; I have them planted amid summer perennials and don't mind the plants taking their time to get ready for next year.

I carry a bucket as I move through the flower beds, seeing what flowers bloomed when and which ones need to be divided because they're too thick to bloom as I remove spent flowers. Those flowers are then contributed to the compost pile.

Daffodils also dry nicely if you're looking for a little yellow color for a dried flower arrangement or potpourri.

If you're planning to separate the bulbs after they've bloomed, leave at least a couple of flower heads so you can find them later.

There's no quicker way to make a garden look fresh than to remove older, fading daffodils.

It's fun, too!