If the humidity isn't too high, they shed their old blooms without deadheading. I know sometimes in the greenhouses, they blooms want to persist and hang on the plant, but usually just when it's very moist or humid. Otherwise, they seem to clean themselves. No, I don't dead head. I do whack them back, however, with great regularity.

If I have the time, which is seldom, I'll deadeahd. But I have too many other plants that need it and the waves look fine without doing it. The ones I have planted in my gardens, I let them do their own thing. If I have any in pots, I do trim those back.

Kat

I average about 30 hours a week in the gardens in summer - 3-4 hours on week day afternoons/evenings & the rest of the time is on weekends. I probably average about an hour - 90 minutes every day deadheading and pinching containers, about 90 minutes watering containers, and the rest doing REAL gardening. I deadhead everything in containers - petunias, million bells, torenia, hibiscus, ......... Those plants with blooms too tiny to deadhead individually get the blooms cut back as soon as they go over, as do the stalks of stuff like allium, iris, poppy, etc in the garden. I guess I'm a little retentive when it comes to the containers, but collectively, they're the focal part of my gardens & I want them looking spiffy. ;o)

Al

Al, when I retire, I'm going to do the same as you. I love deadheading and weeding. It just relaxes me and I feel good after doing it. Thing is, I just don't have the time to do it all right now. But in a few years....I'm really looking forward to it. Oh, and don't short-change those containers...they're 'real gardening' too! :)

Kat

thanks for the replies ~ i have SOOOOO many petunias & they all need deadheading ~ if heat & humidity are factors for them hanging onto their dead, drooping blossoms; then i now know the reason cuz chicagoland is definitely HOT & the HUMIDITY is awful ~ geez, & THEN we have our nasty winters (grin)