Mostly I leave the rudebeckia and the cone flowers and the sunflowers to overwinter as they are- They look good through the winter- and they feed the birds too- I will take only the seeds I may want to share with others with these-
Otherwise I let the seed mature and gather them-
I truely only dead head container annuals and coleus- or weak or small plants that should put that energy elsewhere-
Julie

Only when I can't get around to it or forget! ;-)

I deadhead anything I want to encourage another flush of bloom on, many plants will (but grasses are one big exception). I stop towards the end of season when I won't get more flowers anyways to let the seedheads ripen. I gather lots and lots of seed, and there's always still enough to leave for birds and winter interest.

How 'bout you, Pauline?

Rebecca,

Well, I too deadhead anything I want to re-bloom. I posted this question yesterday after trying to catch up in my garden and wondering if there was any plants that I was deadheading that I didn't need to. Coreopsis for instance. The Horticultural Society's "Month-By-Month gardening in Minnesota" says that young plants don't need deadheading, just how young I don't know. Also Threadleaf Coreopsis doesn't need it. Other places I have read that it does need deadheading.

That is just an example, so I started to wonder what other people did with various plants and with what results.

I haven't been gathering seed since I don't have a lot of space to plant seed. Now that I have found a place to trade them I probably will on at least the more difficult seed to get or ones that I know people are looking for. That however is a totally different post.

Pauline

I'll look for it. I gave a talk to the Wild Ones last year about seed harvesting and I have some good resources. Be aware that since G.W. has no tracking system you're bound to get the occasional trade that is chaff, and ask for extra seeds of hybrids, especially the ones that have a reputation for a low percentage of coming true.

Interesting POV from the Hort Society. I deadhead the young ones more! I want the plant's energy to go into plant and root development, not ripening seed. I guess I better check this with some of my Extension contacts, maybe I've been doing the wrong thing all along!

From an Associate Professor, Department of Horticultural Science and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum:

"Deadheading is the general rule: exceptions are when you want the seed or when the seedheads provide beauty or interest, otherwise, seed production isn't desirable for the overall health and growth of the plant."color>

So I guess it depends on what expert one wants to believe! (Like just about everything else, huh? ;-)

Hey there Zen-
I wanted to tell you that I had a great time swapping seeds last year on GW- I was unaccostomed to the amount and variety of "BONUS" seed sent in many traders envelopes- Yes- some seed has chaff- and most doesn't- but it doesn't really matter any way- espicially if you are winter sowing! The most trouble I had with seed- was from being picked too early in the season (not ripe) or the wrong part of the plant head was packaged and given- as a matter of fact- all those instances came from an in-person trade- not a GW mail swap- I don't think any one was out to cheat or hurt any one- honest mistakes happen all the time- and for the Joy in giving and receiving both far outweighs the chaff or problems-
I say save and trade away! So many nice folks out there- so many great seeds!

Julie,

Where is a good place to buy small envelpes to put the seeds in? The next step will be to find a place to put all of seed pots when I get them going. Planting isn't a problem I will just start a new garden for the plants I start and the plants that I trade for next spring.

Now to go out this evening and plant the great deals I got at Landscape Alternatives this morning. Tomorrow is the last day of their sale and then they move.

Pauline

Okay what about Cosmos..I love Cosmos......I deadhead them early on and then as the season goes on I stop.....usually I just leave the flowers and plants in the ground til spring and they do seem to reseed themselves...with the birds help....but this year I am not deadheading them at all and see no difference in the number of flowers.......I also leave the Coneflower and Rudebeckia,as Julie does....they have spread all over the place ..... and Sunflowers I leave alone too...and the birds find them and gobble every seed up......one thing I have noticed...for me the white Coneflower doesn't seem to do as well all and all as the purple does...in my gardens anyway....they haven't spread nearly as much..oh yes....Morning Glories.....I have them reseeding almost too much....they come back every year...I never deadhead them because I want all the seeds...sometimes they spread to spots I don't want and have to just pull the plant up or transplant it somewhere else....they transplant very well too.......>^,,^<...michele........>

Craft stores and beading shops sell packages of mini-ziploc bags, just have to make sure the seeds are completely dry. Lots of people make their own tiny paper envelopes.

Hello guys,

Does anyone deadhead clematis? I know ones like Jackmanii rebloom until fall anyways, but would deadheading encourage even more blooms? I guess it doesn't hurt to try.

Glen

I deadhead my clematis. Last year they didn't rebloom, but had the two years before. I am waiting to see what happens this year. I noticed yesterday that one that I thought had died over the winter is just about 5" tall. I guess it just over slept.

I like to use paper coin envelopes found at office supply stores to store seeds- Paper allows seeds to "breath"- There is no problem with static electricity which I have heard can cause harm to the seeds (I have no idea how...) The envelopes are easy to open- and easy to get every last seed out of- and can be written on easily with a pencil- and writing can be erased- and the envelope reused over and over again- and when it can no longer be used- it can go into the compost pile-
I also found I like to use home made wax paper envelopes for portioning out seeds- These will also allow the seed to breath- but not as well as the paper- you can easily write on them- you can add water to them to stratify or pre chill in the fridge and they will keep the seed moist - but not consistantly wet, they will allow evaporation- I found that helpfull as I had less loss in wax paper then with plastic- and the best part with these is that they open up all they way to allow easy access when you are planting- You don't have to tap and blow and stick your dirty fingers in trying to get the seeds out that have clung to the bag-
There is a great post on the Winter Sowing forum about seed gathering tools and a little about storage- I - um - don't know how to post a link with this silly web tv I have at home... but- I think it may be worth a visit-
Julie

I'm a lazy gardener so I harder deadhead anything but annuals that need it to do best all season. That is one reason I've avoided prolific reseeders - too much work for me. Anyway - I never deadhead my clematis (Jackmanni) because I enjoy the seadheads almost as much as the flowers.

Knautia macedonia blooms so long and profusely it's imposible to dead-head with any efficiency. It keeps blooming anyway, the first perennial (almost) to start, one of the last to quit (actually, I'm sick of it by mid-October, cut it back to the ground).

Common pink malva is another that blooms like crazy that I don't touch until I collect seeds and/or cut it back in fall.

If you let clematis integrifolia sprawl, it blooms for two or months or more without dead-heading. You get the bonus of silvery swirly seedheads and the gorgeous blue flowers.

Kate

Glad to see that some others like the "silvery swirly seedheads" of Clematis. I just love them! What a lovely way to describe them, Kate.

Lily,

Thanks, I am happy to know that others see the same beauty that I do. It is easy to appreciate flowers, but subtle beauty takes a keen and loving eye.

Kate