the proper thing to do.. is give it a few more weeks.. until you can clearly define the new growth ... and then cut back the seed pod thingees ....

i have dead headed lilac.. and i have left them be.. i am NOT SURE.. that flowering shrubs care either way ...

in other words.. i am not sure deadheading is going to improve next years flowers ...

it might be more an issue of proper or additional water ... if summer and fall is extremely hot and drought ...

but i do admit.. cant grow these in my version of z5 ... and it might have been a soil issue.. have you tested your soil.. and altered it appropriately for laurel??

ken

Thanks Ken. I actually had a beautiful season of flowers this spring. Last year they didn't flower at all, though, and in a thread I posted last year the replies said that if you don't deadhead mountain laurel will sometimes skip a year. So I think they're doing fine in my soil/climate but I would like to try to maximize next year's bloom!

I think lilacs are much less picky as long as you deadhead soon-ish after flowering; it won't have set buds quite yet. This site suggests before July 4.
http://awaytogarden.com/pruning-lilacs
And here is a much more comprehensive site:

Here is a link that might be useful: pruning lilacs how-to

Ken, I just realized you weren't really asking for advice about the lilacs, but were saying that they do just fine letting them be. Ha--sorry. Maybe someone else will benefit from the links!

Deadheading is important for mountain laurels, especially the newer varieties created by Richard Jaynes. You can probably find the relevant passage about this in his book (The Laurel Book)somewhere online.

Small pruners or scissors are useful with kalmias - the stalks don't usually break off neatly as they do with most rhododendrons. Just cut below the bottom most flower stalks as shown in your picture. Next year's buds in both kalmia and rhododendrons do not usually form until late summer, so now is a good time for deadheading.

i defer to maine ... as he has first hand experience ...

but he didnt answer if there is a soil issue???

do they need pH adjustment like the rhodies/azalea ... depending on the native soil of the poster???

ken

To answer Ken's question,
Soil in most parts of New England is fairly acidic, at least acidic enough to provide the very hospitable environment for all kinds of ericaceous plants.
Kalmias are native here.

well that explains why the one i had struggled.. as i didnt know that at that time .. that and the bone dry soil under a mulberry ...

apparently i did absolutely everything wrong.. lol .. go figure ...

ken

I’m still mot sure where to cut to deadhead my Mountain Lauel? is there s video or visual i can see.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xzk3da

at about 2:20 in the video.

Thank you

The video does not show where to cut! Will someone please write the answer clearly so we don’t accidentally cut off what will become next year’s blooms? Please attach a photo.

one would think,.. as the name suggests.. that a native plant the lives on the mountain side.. wouldnt need such TLC that it would need to deadheaded ...

its simple.. CUT OFF THE SEED PODS... thats the whole point of dead heading...

if there are no seed pods.. indicating the plant is sterile.. or failed to go to seed..

then there is no real need nor reason .. to remove the seed pods.. because there are no seed pods.. and that the whole point of deadheading..

i was once told.. that as soon as you see the bud.. the energy was spent.. so removing any of it.. isnt going to resave the energy spent... nor benefit the plant in any way... so why bother....

i do not have a picture or video to support this logic...

ken